Toronto Wildlife Centre keeps saving families of geese from rooftops

Take a walk outside and there's a small chance you might glimpse some Canadian geese strutting around the city with their adorable newborns.

But if you're spying them atop a roof, you should probably give the Toronto Wildlife Centre (TWC) a heads up.

According to the city's rehab centre for Toronto's sick or hurt wildlife, this time of year is a busy one for rooftop rescues of Canada geese and their goslings. 

"They're often attracted to green spaces that have been created on balconies or rooftops," says the TWC.

"Sometimes however, the parents don't realize the nesting site is too high for their babies who aren't able to fly yet. Even if they don't jump, with no food or water source, this can be fatal for the babies."  

TWC teams respond to multiple rescues every spring and summer that require them to move families of geese closer to nearby water sources.

A recent rescue involved taking a family of geese to the wildlife hospital after the mother goose was spotted with blood under her tongue.

The goose was given daily medication and antibiotics, and she and her partner even ended up taking care of six other orphaned goslings while at the hospital. 

"...the family of four turned into a family of ten!" said the TWC. 

The Centre says the family will be returned to the wild when the mother's wound is healed, where the babies (new additions, too) can finally take their first swim.