Guess who’s back at the at the Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park & Zoo. A couple of hints: They are loud. They migrate and they are also known as murder chickens. Yup, the geese! Below are a few pictures of Canada geese at the zoo. It’s weird that Canada geese have that name, because they are so opposite from the reputation of Canadian humans, who are generally considered unassuming and polite, while Canada geese and I expect geese in general are rather protective of their nests so can get a little ‘grumpy’. They also poop a lot. I was feeling bad for the goose in the front of the first picture, because he/she was being shooed away by the couple. Poor lonely goose. Hopefully it will find a mate this year. Fingers crossed you get lucky lonely goose! 😊
I love the second goose photo. It looks like they are dancing in unison.
I’m not sure if the front goose in the photo below is just hanging out with his right leg tucked under or if this is a one-legged goose?
Here is another voluntary zoo resident – the gopher, AKA Richardson’s ground squirrel. I mean, how cute is this little fur ball?! The City of Saskatoon website states that the male gophers emerge from hibernation in March to establish their territories before the females emerge a few weeks later.
And then there is the Pallas’s Cat, who is a resident, not a visitor. I have mentioned her before but have yet to have a good look at her. I am so invested in this cat, also called manuls, that I follow a Pallas’s Cat group on social media. I have included a pic from there to show you what they really look like, as opposed to my picture of what I am guessing is where she is located.
The second picture is from Chris Godfrey/Nordens Ark, posted in the Facebook group Pallas’s Cat International Conservation Alliance.
And that brings us to what I hope is the last blog with snow in the pictures until much, much later this year. Please visit the zoo when you get a chance, and if you are so inclined, you can support the Saskatoon Zoo Foundation. Their mandate is to raise funds for capital projects, like a new, larger bear enclosure. Click here to donate: Donate – Saskatoon Zoo Foundation
Speaking of which, the Foundation’s largest fundraiser is coming up, and tickets are on sale now for ZOOGALA, Friday, June 12th. It’s a chance to try out dishes from many of Saskatoon’s top restaurants and enjoy some entertainment and beverages right on the zoo grounds. Tickets, if they aren’t sold out, are available right here!
I would like to thank the Saskatoon Zoo Foundation for giving me the opportunity to write this blog. Every time I visit the zoo, my heart feels a little bit lighter. Please know that these animals have a safe place to live out their lives. They are rescues who can’t be returned to the wild and some, including the Pallas’s Cat, are part of a managed Species Survival Plan Program through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Enjoy your April!
Your Saskatoon Zoo Foundation blogger,
Carol Thomson
