Imagine stopping at a traffic light when a pair of Canada Geese start to cross the road. You’re excited to see they are new parents! You count the goslings as they waddle swiftly, trying to keep up with Ma and Pa. 1, 2, 3……13, 14, 15. Fifteen gosling babies! How is it possible? Well, these aren’t all the biological babies of this Goose pair. It’s more of a gosling kindergarten, called a creche (pronounced kresh). Geese tend to act as babysitters for several parents at a time as it decreases the rate of predation on these helpless babies.

This phenomena is rather useful in the realm of wildlife rehab. When Greenwood receives orphaned goslings, we can add the orphans to the creche and the geese barely know the difference. That was such the case with a pair of goslings that came to Greenwood recently. The two were found in Boulder and released at Boulder County fairgrounds where a creche had formed. Watch the video to witness the miraculous fostering of these orphaned babies.

You can help us find foster parents for orphaned goslings! Simply put your observations into the iNaturalist app or website and include it in the project “Front Range Canada Geese with Goslings – Greenwood Wildlife”.  Or message us on Facebook with the Geese family’s location.

https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/front-range-canada-geese-with-goslings-greenwood-wildlife