Wilson the goose finally free after surviving 7 months with arrow lodged in rump

CBC News

· Posted: Mar 31, 2025 10:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 4 hours ago

A Canada goose named Wilson — who spent months with an arrow lodged successful his rump — is yet flying free.

The vertebrate was released Sunday astatine Squamish's Brennan Park field, wherever dozens had gathered to cheer him connected to freedom.

As the cage doorway opened and Wilson took a fewer tentative steps, helium turned toward a adjacent flock of geese and took flight, marking the extremity of a months-long rescue effort that brought unneurotic a section photographer, veterinarians, wildlife rescuers, and an full community.

"I'm gladsome to spot him yet get a 2nd accidental astatine life," said Tim Cyr, the Squamish lensman who has been a cardinal fig in leading the rescue effort. 

WATCH | The infinitesimal Wilson was released: 

The goose, which was named aft the volleyball successful the movie Cast Away, was changeable with a training arrow with a blunt constituent adjacent Sechelt past year. 

He eventually made his mode to Squamish, wherever helium was tracked by Cyr for astir 7 months.

Despite aggregate attempts to drawback him with nets, Wilson kept slipping away, Cyr says.

"We tried tons of antithetic ways to drawback him with nets and blankets and whatnot," helium told CBC News.

In October past year, Cyr launched a GoFundMe run to acquisition a nett gun, a humane seizure instrumentality that shoots a nett implicit the animal, that brought successful $3,300. 

The vertebrate was yet captured by Myles Lamont, a registered nonrecreational biologist and proprietor of TerraFauna Wildlife Consulting, who utilized his idiosyncratic nett gun.

Wilson was taken to Dewdney Animal Hospital successful Maple Ridge, wherever veterinarian Dr. Adrian Walton removed the arrow and treated the coiled it near behind.

"There was a ample spread that had been near behind," helium said. "And that was the large fearfulness that this spread would proceed to putrify and go an abscess and that the betterment would beryllium delayed."

But aft weeks of treatment, Wilson was transferred to MARS Wildlife Rescue adjacent Courtenay connected Vancouver Island, wherever helium spent much than 2 months recovering.

"He was precise feisty didn't similar immoderate of america precise much, conscionable similar immoderate different goose," said Dylan Doucet, a unpaid astatine MARS. "But helium had much vigor than mean considering what he'd been through."

Doucet got to cognize Wilson's temper firsthand.

"At slightest 10 bites. I would accidental during the clip that I dealt with them, but that's to beryllium expected successful the job."

Doucet helped transport Wilson backmost to the Lower Mainland for the merchandise connected Sunday.

Before letting him go, Dr. Walton gave Wilson 1 last checkup and the all-clear to fly.

"The feathers person travel back," Walton said. "There's a small scar tissue, but nary damage."

Cyr past opened the cage arsenic onlookers watched quietly. Wilson hesitated for a moment, past stepped retired and flew consecutive toward a waiting flock of geese.

Cyr said helium was hoping for a due goodbye.

"I benignant of expected him to springiness maine a small wound oregon something," helium said. "He knows maine beauteous well."

Walton, lasting nearby, was visibly emotional.

"I lone get to spot the worst parts," helium said. "So being capable to acquisition the bully parts has been a huge, immense positive for me."

As the goose rejoined his flock, Walton imagined what Wilson mightiness beryllium thinking.

"I deliberation helium is conscionable sitting determination going, 'Dude, I person a communicative for you — you don't privation to cognize what happened to maine implicit the past fewer months.'"

WATCH | A Canada goose had an arrow removed aft 7 months: