The Canada Goose is a large wild goose species with a black head and neck, white cheeks/chin and a brown body. They are one of the best known birds in North America.

As most people who live in an area with Canadian Geese will know, the gander (male goose) is a fierce defender of his mate and offspring, and will charge any suspected enemy, even one as large as an elk!

There are many risks to allowing a Goose near or around your property, especially a commercial building. Some Canada Geese prefer to nest in the gardens of commercial buildings. Because of their aggressive nature the adult geese will attack any person that comes in close proximity to their nest. This unprovoked behaviour can result in customers and employees sustaining various degrees of injury caused by the attacking geese. The presence of geese droppings in parking lots and walkways is not only unsightly but may create a serious slip and fall hazard. Another concern for building owners may be the loss of business from customers being chased away from the geese.

Canada Geese are migratory birds, protected under Canadian law, making it illegal to disturb, damage or destroy the nest or eggs except by special permit called a Migratory Birds Damage or Danger Permit.

Interesting Facts About The Canadian Goose:

• The female is called a goose and the male is a gander. The young are know as goslings.
• They form flocks to fly south for the winter.
• They fly in a “v” formation, known as the drafting effect. This helps the birds to conserve their energy while flying long distances. The leader in the front splits the air current for the rest of the geese. They will take turns being the lead.
• The Canada goose has webbed feet for swimming.

Rabbits have seasonal molts, which is when a rabbit looses its coat (or sheds) and grows a new coat. The heaviest moly is generally at the end of a winter season when their coat is fully grown and no longer needed for protection from the cold winter months.

Rabbits have the moulting process as an aid in controlling their body temperature to the varying temperatures of their environment (very cold winter months to relatively hot summer months)

This rabbit was found in a drain pump house by Gates Wildlife Technician Chris.

“Have you ever heard of knocking?”

As the days get colder and darker, raccoons are busy packing on their winter weight and have grown their much needed thick winter coat. Their ability to store body fat allows them to live off their fat reserves and stay in their den longer when food is scarce. A raccoon will typically lose up to half their body weight during the winter months.

Our company has been seeing groups of raccoons living and traveling together at this time of year.

Although raccoons are typically solitary animals, they will sometimes den together in groups during the cold winter months. It is likely that this group is a mother raccoon and her offspring from this past Sprint as they will stay together until she mates, which is usually sometime in January. Immature brothers tend to also stick together until they are two years of age.