Badge of 'antisocial' goose to be sold for charity

Supporters of a gaggle of geese living freely in a town have created a charity pin badge of one member who likes to roam separately from the rest.

The Geese of March Facebook group, which has 7,000 members, has designed a badge of a loner called Gary, who lives apart from the white-feathered flock.

Chrissie Fadipe, who co-ordinates sales of the Cambridgeshire town's goose merchandise, said they had decided to model the pin on Gary due to his "hilarious" personality.

She said sales of merchandise "went off the scale over Christmas" and they hoped the badge would help raise further funds for two local animal charities.

Gary has a distinctive beak with a crack on the side, white plumage with a few black feathers and "the most beautiful blue eyes".

"I was once calling him and he appeared to tell me to honk off because he does respond when you call him with a quack," said Fadipe.

"People love him as he is the ultimate underdog. No-one likes to see someone isolated on their own or not fitting in with a gang."

The majority of the gaggle, which numbers about 18 birds, live on a hillock known as Tellytubby Hill, close to the river.

Gary has chosen to reside in Taff Stevens' garden, which backs on to the river where the bird has a "little ramp" between a boat and decking that he uses to get on to dry land.

The bird had moved in eight years ago and "sort of stayed there ever since", said Stevens.

"We sort of feed him and everybody sort of feeds him and walks by," he added.

"The kids stop to see him before they go to school and when the boats go up and down the river, he'll follow them so far and then he comes back. Everybody knows him.

"He's not the friendliest... he will give you a peck."

Stevens said many people had knocked on his door if they had not seen Gary for a day or two.

The loner goose does need help occasionally - he got stuck when the river froze recently.

"We had to break the ice so he could get in and out of the water and into the garden," said Stevens.

He is now selling his property and has told all interested viewers they will have to keep Gary "otherwise they will upset the people of March".

He added "he's very easy to live with" and stays in a separate bit of the garden.

"He's a bit of an antisocial goose, really," said Stevens.

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