Queens neighbors come together to rescue injured Canada goose

NEW YORK - A wild goose chase in Queens brought some neighbors together for a rescue mission. It started when an injured Canada goose was spotted in the middle of the road.

"I had to jump in the middle of the street and go, hey, stop!"

For Elmhurst couple Dolores and Pascual Quinones, a rescue mission began with an unexpected encounter Tuesday afternoon.

"I saw this goose waddling down the block, right in the middle of the street," Dolores Quinones said.

A Canada goose, its species well known and often shunned in the suburbs, was a novel sight on 88th Street near Corona Avenue.  The animal appeared to be in danger and possibly injured, unable to fly and narrowly dodging traffic.

"Either lost or was hurt and had lost his group," Pascual Quinones said.

"Cars turn that block really fast, so I had to jump in the middle of the street and go, hey, stop!" Dolores Quinones said.

The couple enlisted the help of neighbors to usher the bird to safety. They say it only took gentle coaxing with a blanket to get the quiet, stoic bird into a crate.

"The police department came, and they helped us corral him in," Pascual Quinones said.

"We all fell in love with him"

While they left messages with animal sanctuaries, neighbor Michael Barney, a contractor, offered his unfinished basement for temporary lodging.

"Just before I was about to say goodnight to him, I realized that cat box was not going to do it for him overnight. I wouldn't be able to sleep," Barney said.

He grabbed his tools, and, by midnight, the bird had a spacious fenced enclosure with a bird bath. The goose also had a new name: Napoleon.

"We all fell in love with him, really. It's such a beautiful bird," Pascual Quinones said.

Canada geese are native to North America and federally protected. Experts say that if a Canada goose or other wild bird is found injured, it's best to contact New York City's Wild Bird Fund.

Anthrozoologist John Di Leonardo says professional evaluation can detect problems from a wing fracture to lead poisoning.

"If the animal is in danger or is obviously ill or injured, the best thing to do is to stay with that animal until help can arrive," he said. "The worst thing to do is to see an injured animal and maybe leave a message and leave the scene."

The Elmhurst neighbors are eager to get the bird into professional care and reunited with its flock. For Napoleon, they see blue skies ahead.

"I'm sure it's just starting out in life, so hopefully, it has a lot more years to go," Pascual Quinones said.

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