What began as a mission to free trapped baby geese from the rocky basin of a San Antonio dam spillway ended with animal control officers needing a rescue of their own, according to a City of San Antonio Animal Care Services’ Instagram post.
When a resident noticed five goslings frantically moving about near the dam spillway at Woodlawn Lake, appearing stuck in the basin beneath, they reached out to Animal Care Services for help.
Upon arrival, the officers were met by an anxious mother goose, honking insistently from above. Though her babies were in trouble, she didn’t seem ready to trust strangers with their care.
The officers then lowered themselves down the embankment to place the goslings in a carrier, but the combination of algae on their boots and the steep, slippery walls made it impossible to climb back out.
Stuck alongside the goslings they had just saved, the officers called in reinforcements. Soon after, San Antonio Park Police and the Fire Department were on scene, using an extension ladder to bring both the birds and their rescuers to safety.
Once released from their carrier, the baby geese reunited with their mother, and the family made their way into the lake and swam away.
Lady Freethinker is grateful to the San Antonio officers and firefighters whose compassion and teamwork helped give this goose family a safe and happy ending.
