A community-driven effort in Squamish has raised $2,000 to purchase a net gun to help capture and rescue "Wilson," a Canada Goose who has been living with a 33-inch arrow lodged in his rump for the past four months.
A net gun is a non-lethal weapon designed to fire a net which entangles the target. Fun fact– the net gun was invented by Colin Brown in 1969 to help police catch robbers. While it didn’t work for that, it became useful for capturing wildlife.
Tim Cyr, a wildlife photographer and volunteer with the WRA Wildlife Rescue Association of BC, organized the in just over six hours, with every dollar going toward helping injured wildlife.
(The fundraiser has since garnered $3,330.)
The goose was first spotted in Sechelt, where WRA tried to catch him for several weeks without success. Wilson then disappeared, only to reappear two months later in Squamish. Despite his injury, Wilson has continued to fly, feed, and remain part of a local goose flock.
"People have been trying to catch him for months," Cyr said. "He’s incredibly smart and quick—every time we get close with nets, he takes off. A net gun is the only way we’re going to catch him now."
Wildlife Rescue teams have attempted four rescues, but Wilson remains elusive. The $2,000 raised will purchase the net gun, spare nets, and cartridges to aid in his capture.
Cyr, who has been monitoring Wilson closely for the past two months, believes the equipment will not only help rescue the goose but will also be useful for other wildlife, including great blue herons and smaller injured animals.
Wilson's condition worsens
While Wilson has proven resilient, his condition has worsened over time. "He’s limping much more now," Cyr said. "When I zoom in with my camera, I can see there’s no bleeding, which is a good sign, but the limp is concerning."
The net gun will take a few months to arrive, but Cyr hopes to catch Wilson sooner with the help of a volunteer from Delta, who has agreed to assist with a similar piece of equipment.
"If anyone gets close enough to try and pull the arrow out, it could kill him," Cyr warned. "We need to leave this to the professionals—Wildlife Rescue will handle it once we have the proper tools."
Community supports Wilson’s rescue
The community has rallied around Wilson, with residents calling in sightings from Brennan Park, the high school field, and the local golf course. "Everyone’s cheering for him," Cyr said. "It’s awful that someone would do this, but it’s heartening to see how much people care."
Cyr’s GoFundMe campaign raised the $2,000 goal in just six hours, faster than he expected. "I thought it would take a couple of days," he said. "The response was overwhelming. I probably could have asked for more and still met the goal."
Once Wilson is captured, the arrow will be surgically removed at a wildlife hospital. "We can’t just pull it out because the scar tissue has wrapped around it. It needs to be done properly, and if the wound is infected, they’ll treat that too," Cyr said.
The rescue and rehabilitation of Wilson is part of the broader efforts by the Wildlife Rescue Association of BC, a non-profit that relies heavily on volunteers and donations to operate. Cyr highlighted the importance of the net gun in future rescues as well, noting, "There’s so much this equipment can help with—this isn’t a one-time tool."
Wilson’s name was chosen by Cyr and two women he met near Mountain Blind Channel. "We were talking about the goose with the arrow, and the name 'Wilson' came up," Cyr said. "It just made sense, especially since it’s a reference to the movie Castaway."
Bhagyashree Chatterjee is The Squamish Chief’s Indigenous affairs reporter. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.