Amazing lessons for us to be found in nature.
The saying; don't tell me, show me is apt on this occasion, as the male goose put on a bathing show for the juveniles.
He can't talk, but he can indeed demonstrate the necessity of hygiene to the youngsters. There are 8 of the youngsters that survived, but they still have a long way to go before they can fly. Thankfully they are not babies anymore, and they increase in size every day. I say thankfully, as babies they were defenceless to predators. Now they can run fast and the parents continue to protect them.
But I digress, as I wanted to share the bathing instructions of the dad first. A loud and wet wing flapping affair that led the youngsters to stare in awe. I am sure that the youngsters will also try to bathe like the dad soon, and I will get their actions on camera. So, come and watch his action.
Btw, I will also show you what the mom does at the end of the post.
They are Egyptian geese (Alopochen aegyptiaca) and let's see what Wikipedia has to say about them.
The Egyptian goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca) is an African member of the Anatidae family including ducks, geese, and swans. Because of their popularity chiefly as an ornamental bird, the species has also been introduced to Europe, the United States and elsewhere outside their natural range. Egyptian geese were regularly represented in ancient Egyptian art.
In this case they are in South Africa.
Just look how this juvenile tries to copy the dad's wings flapping.
The mom is also a tutor, as she shows the youngsters where and what to eat.
Some unsettling news about a danger to what the babies eat.
Egyptian geese typically eat seeds, leaves, grasses and plant stems. Occasionally, they will eat locusts, worms, or other small animals. Until the goslings are a few weeks old and strong enough to graze, they feed largely on small aquatic invertebrates, especially freshwater plankton. As a result, if anoxic conditions lead to the production of botulinum toxin and it gets passed up the food chain via worms and insect larvae insensitive to the toxin, entire clutches of goslings feeding on such prey may die. The parents, who do not eat such organisms to any significant extent, generally remain unaffected.
Keeping a close eye on them.
Fortunately our waters are clear, and there is no danger of toxins in the water. Apart from the toxins danger to the goslings, there are many other dangers that they have to face, but by overcoming the dangers it results in their resilience and toughness. They are peace loving birds, except in their breeding seasons, as then they turn into fighters to protect their young. The male goose will attack anything or anyone if it enters their territory, as I should know because one male attacked me some time ago when I came too close to the babies.
Such is life.
I hope you enjoyed the pictures and the story.
Photos by Zac Smith. All-Rights-Reserved.
Camera: Canon PowershotSX70HS Bridge camera.
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