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On our previous visits to my in-laws’ place, we learned about one of the full-time residents of the neighborhood pond — Bob. I was lucky enough to actually see him a few times. Even though there are a lot of geese and ducks that hang around the ponds, Bob was a unique character. And I’ll admit that when I heard about his poignant end (while we were already coping with the pandemic), I shed some tears for Bob.

Bob the Chinese Swan Goose — Bob was very vocal, very social, and very loved!

Bob wasn’t an ordinary goose!

He bonded with the wild geese and dutifully helped care for their babies every year. He was always very loudly excited when the wild geese flew into the pond and always quietly frustrated when they flew off. Being a domestic breed, he wasn’t able to fly high and was left behind. Bob was helping guard the nest one night in April 2021 when tragically coyotes attacked.

Domestics were bred to stay on farms and cannot fly away from danger or fly around to find enough healthy food. Domestic geese and ducks should NEVER be abandoned at any pond as they will sadly have to struggle to survive — Memorial sign