It really is through sickness and in health for these two love birds.
The Cape Cod branch of the New England Wildlife Centers typically doesn’t allow people to visit the patients they drop off, but on Wednesday, the wildlife hospital made an exception for its first animal visitor, according to a post on the organization’s Facebook page.
A Canada goose stopped by to visit its mate, a goose called Arnold by the center’s employees. Both geese are totally wild and live on a pond near the facility, according to the organization.
On Tuesday, a member of the staff noticed Arnold waddling with a limp and brought him into the facility for an examination. The staff discovered two open-fractures on one of Arnold’s feet, leaving a bone exposed through the skin, an injury likely caused by a snapping turtle or other predator, the post said.
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However, as staff was preparing Arnold for surgery, his mate arrived at the clinic’s door in an “agitated” state and attempted to break in, according to the post. Naturally, once Arnold was out of surgery, the staff had to make an exception to the no-visitors policy, giving Arnold his post-surgery treatment by the door.
“His mate immediately calmed down and began to groom him through the door,” the post said. “They both seemed much more at ease in each other's presence.”
Arnold will likely need several weeks of treatment before he can return to the wild, and he’ll need to be kept inside for most of that time, the center said. However, his mate may still get a chance to visit from time to time, as they hope to perform treatments in front of the door whenever possible.
