The pond near my workplace is a popular home of quite numbers of Canadian goose families, especially in spring season. It is not uncommon in
I was on my way to work. Off the main road, turning onto the street where my office building resides, before passing the pond I pressed on the break pedal when the car in front of mine halted to a stop. Two goose families mingled into one big group, taking their time crossing the road, as two lines of cars in both directions patiently waiting in the middle of driving. The four adult geese guarded their children around all directions of the group with heads high and eyes alert, scanning the surroundings over the babies. The nine ducklings, as cute as they could be, scattered among their parents, carelessly trotting in the wake of their parents’ guide. They would be gently chased back to the crowd each time they were considered stepping off the circle. The parade proceeded slowly. Definitely they were not in a hurry. Did they know that human beings in this part of the world have been looking out for them? They might have been feeling it.
Pedestrians on the sidewalks and drivers in the cars gazed at the humanized creatures. I was amazed by the unusual scene and touched by the care of parent geese for their children. They must have been more talented than what human beings have defined for them. Caring for their children and protecting their babies from danger must require more than just animal instincts.
