The Goose That Came Home
By steven lynn, as told to Corey Whelan
If you’ve ever witnessed the majesty of a Canada goose flock flying into the clouds, you know that these noble birds are a force to be reckoned with. Each group is composed of couples that mate for life, as well as their goslings and friends. Together, they are one large family. Apart, they are individuals with quirks and personalities, just like us. No one knows this more than my family, who raised a silly little goose we named Peeper after he was abandoned as a baby.
In 2000, when I was around seven years old, my parents, sister, brother, and I were coming back from a T-ball game one late spring afternoon. That was our usual weekend adventure in suburban Pearl River, New York, about 25 miles from New York City. But
unlike other weekends, on this day a surprise was waiting in our driveway: two adult geese and a gosling. The adults were startled by us and flew away, but their baby was too young to fly and couldn’t follow. We are no strangers to the ways of wildlife, so we knew to avoid contact with the gosling lest it imprint on us and be lost to its family forever.
Hours passed, and night fell. With it came a deep chill and a fear of watchful predators. The tiny little thing was wandering around our yard, unaware of what could happen. It was clear that the gosling needed protection, warmth, and sustenance to make it to the morning, so we brought him onto our back porch and set up a makeshift wire fence to enclose and protect him.
We all pretty much slept with one eye open till morning. And then another morning. And another. Each day, we would try to scurry the goose over to his parents, who kept coming back to our yard. He wouldn’t go to them, though, and they wouldn’t come close enough to claim him. We kept this up for five days, but no luck. By then, the young goose had clearly decided we were his new family, so we had to give him a name. My eight-year-old sister, Joanna, called the little guy Peeper because he would follow us around the yard making a peeping noise, nonstop. We also decided that Peeper was a boy. I don’t know why; it just felt right.
Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months, until almost a year passed. We settled into a routine filled with feathery hugs and camaraderie. Peeper slept on our back porch and, in typical goose fashion, also used it as a latrine. My dad would spray off the droppings daily with a hose. Part of this ritual included Dad throwing Peeper up into the air so he could fly a loop around the house, coming back again once the porch was clean.
One evening, my uncle was over, and my dad wanted to show him Peeper’s loop. He threw him up in the air, but
THE YOUNG BIRD HAD CLEARLY DECIDED WE WERE HIS NEW FAMILY.
this time Peeper flew off. Everyone was very, very sad. It was dark, and we were worried. We looked for him for days, calling his name, but he didn’t come back. We hoped he’d found a flock and had gone off on his natural way.
Again, days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months—then years. I missed my little buddy, and I would call for him every time I saw a flock of Canada geese fly by in V formation. Twenty years passed, and Peeper became a fond memory for my family.
Geese live to be around 25 years old and are very loyal. They never forget their first home. Even so, it came as a shock last year when an aging adult goose made his way back to my family home. Geese love houses with large, green lawns; the flat terrain makes it easier to scout for predators. So at first, I assumed it was just another goose. And yet something about the lone male seemed oddly familiar to me.
After two weeks of his coming back repeatedly, it became clear this was not a random goose. He did all the things Peeper used to, like trying to come in through the front door and sleeping in our enclosed pool area. This goose also responded to the name Peeper— he would turn his head and waddle closer to us. To my amazement, my old best friend had returned, 20 years later.
Why did Peeper come back? Perhaps his mate had died, leaving him lonely. It’s also possible that he is approaching his twilight years, making him crave his early home. This behavior is typical of geese. Whatever the reason, Peeper continues to live with me. It’s a good thing I stayed in my childhood home.
He doesn’t come back every single night, the way he did as a baby. Some nights he may seek out the comfort of his own kind at the lake nearby. Geese in the wild typically sleep on water. But he’s here a lot, making his presence known and giving me joy.
This experience has been as meaningful to me as anything in my life. I hope that my children get the opportunity to connect with nature and a wild being in this same way. People crave connection with the natural world. Through Peeper, I have learned so much about myself and about the love that lives in all of nature. RD
GEESE ARE VERY LOYAL. THEY NEVER FORGET THEIR FIRST HOME.