Goose That Survived with Arrow Through Its Neck Dies Following Surgery

UPDATED AT 10:28 P.M.: An Egyptian goose that had been wandering the Anaheim Hills area with an arrow through its neck died today following surgery.

“The vet did everything that they could do and it (the goose) seemed to make it through surgery OK,” said Katie Ingram of OC Animal Care.

“Unfortunately, after surgery he crashed. We’re not sure if it was due to the extent of the injuries or some other complication. We were all hoping for a happy ending for this little guy.”

The bird was captured today by an employee of a car wash located near the wash where it had been spotted in recent weeks, Ingram said.

“We’ve been receiving reports of the Egyptian goose with an arrow lodged in its neck since April 8,” she said. “We’ve gone out five times, including today, to catch this little guy.”

The bird, which Animal Care officials suspect was intentionally harmed, was living in a drainage riverbed between the Riverside (91) Freeway and La Palma Avenue, Ingram said.

At first, OC Animal Care personnel thought maybe their uniforms were scaring the bird away when they tried to rescue it, so they went out today in plain clothes and still had no luck corralling the goose, Ingram said.

The car wash employee called soon after the rescue workers left.

The bird was examined by a veterinarian, and underwent surgery this afternoon to remove the arrow, Ingram said.

The goose is a rare species in the area, Ingram said.

“Normally, you see this type of goose in residential ponds or on golf courses,” she said. “They are native to Africa. We do see them -- there’s probably a small population around here, but they’re not really a normal bird (in the area).”

It’s unclear how the goose was injured, but “it looks like an intentional injury,” Ingram said. “This is not a bird people would normally be hunting.”

Anyone with information about the wounding of the goose was asked to call OC Animal Care at (714) 935-6848. Anonymous tips are welcome.

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  • City News Service and Patch staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.
  • Photo Credit: Orange County Animal Control and Twitter User queenwaldorf ‏@queenwaldorff
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