A Canadian goose feels right at home in Scranton.
SCRANTON, Pa. — For the last two years, a Canadian goose named Gus has called one neighborhood in East Scranton his home.
“He was the only goose down there, and they typically fly away for the wintertime, but we knew there was something amiss because he was not leaving,” said Tom Gallagher of Scranton.
Gallagher and his wife first saw Gus at Darcy Park two years ago when he was trapped in the ice that formed over Roaring Brook.
“It was three degrees out, snow everywhere, he had nothing to eat, and the water had frozen over, and he must have melted into it,” said Gallagher.
After freeing himself, the Canadian goose stuck around here in the States under plenty of watchful eyes.
“There’s something about this goose that draws us to him,” said Gallagher. “I think it’s because maybe he needs us.”
Once he wrapped up his afternoon lunch of lettuce and corn, Gus climbed up the bank to stretch his webbed feet.
Whether it’s catching a Little League game at East Scranton’s Little League or taking a stroll around Darcy Park, Gus has become quite a regular here in the neighborhood.
“I’ve been sitting down here, he’d come right up to me a few times, and he’ll be nipping on you and stuff like that,” said Jack of Scranton.
Jack and Gus both call the neighborhood home.
While Gus doesn’t have a mailing address, Jack says everyone knows where to find him.
“He’s become a mainstay here,” said Jack. “People drop off, people stop their cars and are feeding him, so he’s probably never going to leave.”
There’s no knowing how long Gus will stay in the area, but for now, residents say he’s a Scrantonian.