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Canada Goose

She was born here, but visitors to Lake Jocassee try in vain to chase her away. She is large, beautiful—regal, even—and not easily intimidated. She was a precocious youngster, walking and swimming from the time she hopped out of the nest. Rather than bringing her food, her vegan parents taught her, from day one, to forage for herself. They did their best to protect her, too, as a gosling, as a fledgling, but first one sibling, then two, then three, disappeared. Owls, bald eagles, coyotes, dogs… plenty of Jocassee predators will take advantage of a tender young snack when opportunity arises. Now a two-year old, she is still part of the family unit and will remain close to her parents for the next couple of years. As locals, they don’t migrate far, but the Keowee golf courses are tempting grounds for Canada geese to forage. In a couple of years she will choose her till death-do-they-part mate, and she’ll return to Jocassee to raise a family of her own. ~K