Pittsburgh River Rescue Saves Lost Gosling, Names Her Gabby
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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A lost little gosling was saved thanks to the vigilant Pittsburgh River Rescue patrol.
According to Pittsburgh Public Safety, the River Rescue crew was about to head out on the water around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday when they found the gosling, which had climbed into their boat's transom well near the rear motor.
The 1- to 2-week-old gosling was covered in debris and shaking, so the River Rescue crew built it a makeshift nest with towels and a plastic bin.
The crew members named the little bird Gabby because they found her as they were about to patrol the Ohio River near the Rivers Casino Amphitheater during an outdoor concert featuring Gabby Barrett, a finalist on the show "American Idol."
"If it weren't for the concert, we might not have been patrolling, and the gosling probably wouldn't have made it," Pittsburgh Police Chief Scott Schubert said in a press release.
Officials say all the recent rain has made river conditions challenging for goslings, with fast-moving water and lots of debris.
But once Gabby was able to get some rest and clean herself off, she got her "vim and vigor" back.
River Rescue called the Pennsylvania Game Commission, which transported Gabby to the Humane Animal Rescue Wildlife Center on Wednesday afternoon.
Game Commission officials ask anyone who finds a gosling like Gabby to give them a call at 724-238-9523.