Today, let’s meet Doug Carleton, a man whose daily routine involves visiting the same park for the past three years. During his time there, he not only enjoys the scenic view but has also developed a special friendship with the flock of geese that live there.
Source: Sullivan's Goose
Despite being new to interacting with geese, Carleton quickly learned how to approach them without causing alarm or fear. Over time, all eight geese in the park became comfortable with his presence, and Carleton even assigned names to each of them, knowing them as well as he would eight close friends.
“I am generally good with animals, I can befriend the most snaggletoothed cat,” Carleton told The Dodo. “Geese were new to me, but I just picked up how to not alarm them or give them reason to fear me, and eventually all of them just became cool with having me amongst them and interacting with them.”
In June, Carleton had an exciting encounter with a new gosling, whom he affectionately named Sam. Born on a small island in the pond where the geese sleep, Sam's parents eventually brought him to shore once he could swim, allowing Carleton to start making friends with him.
As the days passed, Sam developed a strong fondness for Carleton. Whenever the baby goose spots him, Sam gets excited and often runs up to greet his human friend. Unlike the other geese, Sam is remarkably passive and has yet to hiss at anyone.
Watch Sam and Carleton’s full story here:
The connection between Sam and Carleton is one of pure warmth. You can see it in Sam's excitement when he races to say hi, and it's contagious—the other geese join in, spreading the love for their top-notch human. Carleton's got something truly special going on with his feathered squad, and here's the kicker: the feeling's totally mutual. Those geese adore him just as much as his love for them.
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