Doug Carleton has been going virtually every day to the same city park for the past three years. He stays there for a time, enjoys the view, and becomes friends with all the local geese.
“I usually get along well with animals, and I can make friends with even a cat with snaggleteeth,” said Carleton. According to the author, the geese were unfamiliar to me, but I simply learned how to avoid frightening or inciting their fear, and soon all of them just became used to having me among them and engaging with them. Carleton knows the names of all eight of the geese that routinely reside in the park at the moment.
The geese now regard Carleton as a friend and are more confident in him. Carleton gave the gosling Sam as a name back in June when he first noticed it scuttling around. Sam’s parents brought him to the shore when he could swim so Carleton could get to know him. Sam was born on a tiny island in the centre of the pond where the geese spend their nights.
Since Sam has grown to be quite fond of him over time, the baby geese now greet Carleton with great joy whenever he sees him.
Carleton remarked, “I can approach and simply reel them off as anyone would eight people they know well.” Carleton’s friends are all geese, but they all share a very unique friendship. He feels the same way about them now, and they hold a particular place in his heart.
