Arundel’s exotic evacuees return home after floods

A GAGGLE of geese which had been evacuated from a nature reserve in Arundel when it flooded have now returned home to roost.
By The Newsroom
Published 28th Feb 2014, 09:00 BST
Basil the Australian magpie goose in the midst of his family at the Arundel Wetland CentreBasil the Australian magpie goose in the midst of his family at the Arundel Wetland Centre
Basil the Australian magpie goose in the midst of his family at the Arundel Wetland Centre

With water levels dropping around the Arundel Wetland Centre, the large family of eight Australian magpie geese along with a trio of Hawaiian Nene geese and flock of six South American Orinoco geese have made their return.

High water levels in January forced the Mill Road site to move 60 of its geese to the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust’s (WWT) centre in Gloucestershire.

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A spokeswoman for the trust said: “Geese need lots of grass for grazing so when exhibit pens took on water the decision was made to move some birds. Over 450 wildfowl from the collection remained at the Arundel Wetland Centre during the high water in January.”

WWT Arundel Wetland Centre is once again fully open for visitors. The rest of the WWT Arundel’s geese, including the flock of endangered red-breasted geese, will be brought back to the wetland centre in mid-March.

Ten nene geese from Arundel’s collection will stay at WWT Slimbridge until April.

The rest of WWT Arundel’s nene gaggle is heavy with eggs and some are already nesting at WWT Slimbridge and cannot be moved.

Related topics:ArundelGloucestershire