toronto sewer goose

Baby goose saved after falling in sewer while crossing Toronto street

It's every parent's worst nightmare: Losing a baby down the sewer.

Fortunately, Canadians aren't the types to stand idly by when such things happen to their fellow citizens, even when those citizens are large, ornery birds.

Two Canada geese were crossing Yonge Street just south of St. Clair on Wednesday morning with six adorable little goslings in tow when the unthinkable happened. Unbeknownst to the adult geese, one of their babies had fallen straight through a hole in the sewer grate.

"Oh! One went down the hole!" shouted a bystander in video footage from the scene. "Oh my god," said another.

That video was sent in by a reader named Mohammed Shoblaq via email on Wednesday morning. Upon seeing it, Dani Stover called the City of Toronto to ensure that someone had reported the incident.

Nobody had. Unable to help, the city put her through to the Toronto Wildlife Centre (TWC).

Despite being the busiest wildlife centre in all of Canada, the veterinary hospital and rehabilitation facility for sick, injured and orphaned wild animals sprung into action immediately.

They contacted a business seen in the background of Shoblaq's video and asked someone to check out the situation. That person heard peeping coming from the sewer, according to a TWC representative, so a rescue crew was dispatched.

Animal rescuers carefully retrieved, bathed and placed the young bird into a warm incubator at the centre, where it is now safe and sound with another little bird who went through something similar.

Some on Twitter were joking that the baby animal would grow up to become a teenage mutant ninja goose before it was saved, but the overwhelming sentiment was one of worry for the creature.

"Please send a qualified professional to recover the baby goose!" tweeted one person to Toronto Mayor John Tory. "Even if it didn't survive the fall, we will applaud you for trying to help!"

"This tweet needs a follow up asap!" wrote someone else. "Is the baby okay?"

Thanks to the hard work and compassion of everyone involved, the baby is not only okay but in the best hands possible at TWC.

You can follow the gosling's story on the wildlife organization's incredible, story-filled Facebook page and donate towards the rescue of other sick and injured animals here.

Lead photo by

Mohammed Shoblaq


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