Goose, shot with arrow, on its way to recovery at Youngwood-based Wildlife Works

Crews with the nonprofit organization Wildlife in Need earlier this month rescued a goose that had an arrow lodged in its body.

The goose was captured at a pond near the Unity Township Municipal Building.

The practice arrow was lodged millimeters from the goose’s spine, said Beth Shoaf, executive director and senior rehabilitator at Youngwood-based Wildlife Works.

“The bird was incredibly lucky,” Shoaf said.

After receiving several calls about the goose, Amber Treese, southwest regional director for Wildlife in Need, which has volunteers across the state, did an initial analysis of the goose, noting it was not in immediate danger and that the arrow had been in the bird for a while.

On June 18, a group of six volunteers was able to separate the bird from its flock by surrounding it and then tightening their circle. Eventually, the bird was captured.

The bird was then taken to Wildlife Works, where a veterinarian was able to remove the arrow. It is now recovering at the facility.

“Very feisty,” Shoaf said of the goose. “There really wasn’t a whole lot of damage besides a nasty infection.”

The bird is being treated with antibiotics, and officials are monitoring the wound. Once the goose is healed, it will be moved outside so it can get acclimated to swimming in the facility’s pools. It will then be released.

“This is bad news when people don’t value, when they have no respect for life, that they would use an animal like that for target practice,” Shoaf said. “If someone would be caught doing something like this, it is illegal on both a state and federal level.”