Canada goose left to die after being shot by crossbow
It could be the luckiest bird in B.C.
A Canada goose has miraculously survived an illegal crossbow attack that left it with a bolt sunk deep inside its chest.
A woman found the injured bird floating on Lake Cowichan Thursday and rushed it to a Nanaimo veterinarian’s office for emergency surgery to remove the bolt.
“It was close to the windpipe, close to some arteries, it was very close to a couple of the bones in the wing, but didn’t hit anything major,” said Dr. Ken Langelier. “It was simple as a quick pluck.”
There are several areas in the Cowichan Valley where shooting a goose with a bow and arrow is legal, but the weapon used on the goose appears to be a crossbow bolt – an illegal form of hunting geese in B.C.
Rescue workers have also spoken out against whoever pulled the trigger, saying the animal was inhumanely left to die.
“They can be a bit of a pest at times, but at the same time this is their habitat. They’re a natural species and we don’t’ want to see them suffering,” said Robyn Radcliffe of the Raptor Rescue Society.
“If somebody ignorant has done this, it behooves us to do our best to try and fix it,” Langelier said.
Rescue workers say conservation officers are aware of the case and are looking into it.
source: Goose left to die after being shot by crossbow in Lake Cowichan | CTV Vancouver Island News
It could be the luckiest bird in B.C.
A Canada goose has miraculously survived an illegal crossbow attack that left it with a bolt sunk deep inside its chest.
A woman found the injured bird floating on Lake Cowichan Thursday and rushed it to a Nanaimo veterinarian’s office for emergency surgery to remove the bolt.
“It was close to the windpipe, close to some arteries, it was very close to a couple of the bones in the wing, but didn’t hit anything major,” said Dr. Ken Langelier. “It was simple as a quick pluck.”
There are several areas in the Cowichan Valley where shooting a goose with a bow and arrow is legal, but the weapon used on the goose appears to be a crossbow bolt – an illegal form of hunting geese in B.C.
Rescue workers have also spoken out against whoever pulled the trigger, saying the animal was inhumanely left to die.
“They can be a bit of a pest at times, but at the same time this is their habitat. They’re a natural species and we don’t’ want to see them suffering,” said Robyn Radcliffe of the Raptor Rescue Society.
“If somebody ignorant has done this, it behooves us to do our best to try and fix it,” Langelier said.
Rescue workers say conservation officers are aware of the case and are looking into it.
source: Goose left to die after being shot by crossbow in Lake Cowichan | CTV Vancouver Island News
