Ian Roesler is a senior creative writing major and writes “The Gaggle” for The Daily News. His views do not necessarily agree with those of the newspaper. Write to Ian at icroesler@bsu.edu

Imagine a creature so beautiful, so pavonine, a transcending beauty that flies gracefully through the sky. To gaze upon its plumage, an honor. A honk so splendid it sends chills. The creature it goes by the name "Branta canadensis" or the Canada goose.  

Hands down my favorite waterfowl of all time, the Canada goose is a creature that is unfairly stigmatized. They’re one of my favorite parts of campus, actually. I love to watch them and their goofy little antics. I recall seeing one goose stepping off the edge of a sidewalk, Another time, my sophomore year a goose set up home right outside my window in a little puddle. I go to class; he’s there sitting in the puddle. I come back: he’s still sitting in the puddle.

However, despite their lovable antics I still on the regular encounter people who say how much they hate them. They speak of encounters so horrid, so skin crawling, it makes one sleep with the lights on. They basically all say, “I walked past a goose and it hissed at me.” Or sometimes they talk about stepping in feces on a sidewalk. Albeit that is a fair complaint, those turds are huge and often numerous. And yes, Canada geese do hiss at people. Primarily, when they feel threatened or when their young are around. A lot of animals, hiss in those kinds of circumstances, such as snakes and lizards. 

Canada geese get their reputation as horrid creatures due to their protective nature. They’re just trying to protect their young. Family is very important to them. For instance, did you know that Canada geese mate for life? That’s more than can be said for most people.

These creatures are so unfairly demonized. I can think of one bird worse than Canada geese: seagulls. They deserve their reputation as garbage eating, flying beach rats. And unlike Canada geese, they’ll go out of their way to harass people. 

So the next time you see a Canada goose. Just remember they’re not so bad and they have every right to exist like you and I. 

Unlike seagulls. I think we need to nuke them. It’d make the beaches better.

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