Geese are among the animal species that mate for life in the wild. But what happens when one bird is left without its partner? That recently happened to Blossom, a goose at Iowa’s Riverside Cemetery whose mate Bud died last August.
General manager Dorie Tammen said Blossom’s behavior changed after the loss. The widowed goose began spending more time up at the front office, and was frequently seen staring at her reflection in windows and tombstones.
“She wanted company,” Tammen told CBS News. So she set out to find Blossom just that.
Tammen wrote a personal ad from Blossom’s point of view, sharing it on the cemetery’s Facebook page on February 10. “Lonely, widowed domestic goose seeks life partner for companionship and occasional shenanigans. Come share life with me at Riverside Cemetery,” the post read, concluding with, “I’m youthful, adventurous, and lively, and I’ve been told I’m beautiful.”
The ad made it in front of Deb and Randy Hoyt, who live about 50 miles from the cemetery, per The Washington Post. The married couple run a horse rescue farm, and had adopted a pair of geese in 2020. When the female goose was tragically killed, likely by an animal, her male companion, Frankie, spent months searching the grounds for her. So after reading online that Blossom was also in search of a mate, they reached out to set a Valentine’s Day blind date for the two.
Though the romance had a bit of a rocky start, with Frankie flying off after arriving at the cemetery and spending the night on his own, Tammen and the Hoyts didn’t give up. The following day, the humans officially introduced the geese.
At that meeting, Blossom and Frankie seemed excited, and after about 10 minutes, waddled off together toward a lake on the property, snacking on grass and mingling with the other birds. Said Deb to The Post: “It was love at first sight — or second sight.”
While she and her husband felt bittersweet about leaving Frankie as they traveled back home, they knew it was the best decision for the widower. “I’m sure he’s much happier with a whole flock of friends,” Deb shared. “It was hard for us, but we know that it’s better for him.”
Soon, Blossom and Frankie’s sweet story had captivated the local community, as well as those following along on the internet. One Iowa man composed a poem about the lovebirds. Another admirer of the pair gifted a wooden figurine of “two very affectionate geese” in their honor.
These days, the geese are inseparable, Tammen told CBS. “They started walking off together and they haven’t really left each other’s side since.”
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