How is this goose still alive?

The season to hunt geese lasts from Sept. 1 to Sept. 25, and one goose somehow escaped... with a bolt in its head. What looks like an arrow is actually considered a bolt, one expert told 7 Eyewitness News that the goose was probably shot with a crossbow and due to the small size of the bolt. That particular crossbow was likely illegal to hunt with in New York.  

“I’d love to say that this is the only goose that we’ve had a phone call about this year that has an arrow through it but it’s not, unfortunately," Erie County SPCA Director of Wildlife, Barbara Haney, said. “If they’re able to get away from us then we need to respect that animal, because by bringing it in for rehab we’re subjecting it to captivity.”

Haney said that the SPCA has sent out numerous rescue agents to catch the bird, but fortunately, it's able to fly and swim despite the bolt in its head. 

The SPCA takes around 8,000 wildlife calls from the public each year and is responsible for more than 3,500 animals of over 100 different species that come through their doors. 

Almost two years ago another goose survived a similar situation in Amherst, except it was an arrow hanging stuck in the bird's neck. 

Have a news tip, question or comment?