A goose lesson for SIUE

by T.J. Cowell, Alestle Sports Reporter

As the weather gets warmer and the heavy coats worn around campus get replaced with t-shirts, the inevitable mating season of the SIUE Canada geese comes along with the spring. I need to be careful here because talking geese at SIUE is like politics; it can turn ugly in a hurry.

The average life of a goose if it reaches adolescence usually spans anywhere from 10 to25 years.  That’s a long time to call SIUE a home if they choose to do so. And since there are very little predators besides humans here, the geese have kind of domesticated here around campus.

The eggs laid by mother geese in the spring are vulnerable to fall prey to raccoons, foxes, skunks and a variety of birds to name a few. Even after hatching geese still have their predators they have to be weary of. Most of these predators obviously did not exist around campus. There aren’t any wolves around Edwardsville, and I am guessing Cougar Lake does not have a whole bunch of northern pike or muskie in it. Although I have seen a few raccoons and possums on the outskirts of campus, the list of predators to help control the population of geese at SIUE is very limited.

Since both male and female geese look very similar, it can be hard to tell them apart at times. But at this time of year, both genders can become agitated fairly easily even if you mean them no harm. For the record though, male geese normally tend to be a little larger than females. Males are commonly referred to as “ganders” as while females are actually called “geese.”

Nesting for geese begins in the month of March and will trickle into April. Both males and females will protect their nests. A female will usually lay about a half dozen eggs that in shape are three times the size of chicken eggs. The incubation phase of these eggs will go on for a month or so (25 to 30 days). During this time, the eggs need to be kept warm at a temperature of 90 degrees in order for the embryo to develop. The embryos that do hatch into ducklings will go through a “molting” period of about another month or two.

Typically if you encounter a hostile goose, the best thing to do is to maintain eye contact with the animal. Geese pay close attention and are very wary of body language, so it is not a good idea to turn your back on one. Returning your hostility towards the bird is also a no-no. For the most part, you are trying to get the point across that you mean the bird no harm. A lot of times, geese are only trying to look after their young when they become agitated.

Listed below are a few typical body languages projected by alerted geese that feel they are in danger. You’re best bet:  stay clear.

a) Alert, wary of danger

b) Conflict, accompanied with hiss

c) Increased threat, accompanied by a call

d) Conflict situation, pumping display, precedes direct attack

For more information about Canada geese, click here.

Is the cat in the doghouse?

By Liz Spihlman, Alestle Copy Editor

Tomorrow afternoon will come the moment of truth: I will find out whether or not I am allowed to bring my cat to my new apartment.

Within the next week or so, I will move from my grandmother’s house to an apartment I’m renting with a friend/former coworker. Unfortunately, we forgot about asking the dreaded pet question. Tomorrow, she is going to talk to our landlord and get the lowdown on what is and isn’t allowed. Hopefully, my wonderful, cuddly, black cat, Jynx, can come with me. If he can’t, he gets to stay with Grandma. I can’t imagine he’d be heartbroken, because he snags dog treats every night there, but I’d rather have him come with me.

In a way, I understand the concerns of landlords when it comes to pets. Dogs have to be taken outside, or they’ll make a mess on the floor. Birds are loud, obnoxious and messy. Small animals run away and get into the heating ducts. Cats aren’t perfect little angels, but they do prove to be largely independent, save feeding and watering.

I’ll hit the bad news first. Cats scratch, and mine isn’t declawed. Litter box maintenance is a must, or else the apartment will grow legs and run away from its own stinky self. But aside from some discipline and owner responsibility, cats are pretty well set for life.

They can be left alone all day, and the worst you might come home to is a broken glass or a large blob of a cat lying on your dining room table. They don’t need to be supervised while using the facilities. I don’t know about all cats, but Jynx picks one piece of furniture to scratch on, and, if I don’t like it, a good swat on the head will make him pick a different one. Also, he doesn’t bark, and he’s an inside cat, so he’s not going to bother the neighbors.

In the end the choice isn’t up to me, it’s up to my landlord. However, they tend to be more lenient with cats than dogs because of the above factors. If all goes well, all I’ll have to do is convince Jynx that the dreaded car ride is worth it.

Pet Guardians keep cold dogs warm in East St. Louis

Ashley Hinkle, Alestle Photo Editor

by Ashley Hinkle, Alestle Photo Editor

Brrr…

When it’s this cold outside, you’ve heard on the news countless of times to bring your pets inside. But what about those animals, particularly dogs, that have no place to go? What do they do? I took a drive around East St. Louis around 8 a.m. in the morning with PJ Hightower, with Gateway Pet Guardians, to find out.

The stray dogs hide in abandoned houses and burrow into the ground to stay warm. This isn’t the lifestyle of a king; it’s barely and barely a lifestyle to survive.  And how do they get food? Well thanks to PJ, Thanks to Hightower and the Gateway Pet Guardians, the dogs are fed every morning with food donations from various organizations and individuals from the area.

I rode along with Hightower and Jamie Case on a Saturday morning and took photos of all the dogs they fed.  We loaded Hightower’s car with three bags of dog food and a bag of treats. It was a very cold morning, so cold that we whisted for the dogs from the heat of the car.

Hightower knows everything about these dogs in East St. Louis. She knows where they live, who mates with who, and even when the females menstrual cycles are. She goes out every morning to feed the dogs that are still on the street because they don’t have foster homes to go to, so they have to wait a little while longer.  Most of the dogs we fed would not get close enough for us to pet them. They are very skeptical of interacting with people. We would lay out a pile of food and be on our way. Although they were wary, the dogs weren’t vicious.  Some were even gracious enough to let the birds eat, too. 

I wanted to take every single one of them home with me. I am a huge animal lover and have been wanting a new dog for some time. There is no doubt in my mind that I will be getting a rescue dog after my experience. These dogs need warm homes and individuals to accept them into their hearts and show them the meaning of love. After all dog is man’s–or woman’s–best friend.

Gateway Pet Guardians are always looking for foster parents to house dogs while they await a more permanent home. Fostering is the first step to getting the dogs off of the streets.

While on my ride Case told me about a girl who, on her twelfth birthday, called Case to let her know that instead of her friends bringing her gifts that year, she asked them to bring doggie gifts for her to donate. If only all of us were so thoughtful.

Coming up for Gateway Guardians:

Gateway Pet Guardians’ Mixed Breed Art Auction, 4 to 8 p.m., Feb. 28 at Schlafly Bottleworks in Maplewood