Animal 411

Young Owl Injured After Becoming Entangled in Soccer Net on Carter Street

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New Canaan Police are urging residents to remove soccer and lacrosse nets when not in use after an owl injured himself badly after getting entangled Tuesday morning. The call came in to Animal Control Officer Sean Godejohn at about 9 a.m. from a Carter Street residence. “The owl was heavily entangled in the soccer net when I arrived,” he told NewCanaanite.com. “The owl had patches of missing feathers from where he tried to desperately free himself. The owl had a number of cuts, scrapes and lacerations from the friction of the net against the owl’s fragile wings and neck.

Animal 411

Injured Goose Found Shot with Arrow; Police Euthanize Bird

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Authorities say they were forced to euthanize a Canada goose on Tuesday after the bird had been shot by an arrow. The injured goose was spotted in the morning by a Green Meadow Lane homeowner who contacted police, according to New Canaan Police Department Animal Control Officer Sean Godejohn. “The goose was struck in the rear tail feather area,” he told NewCanaanite.com. “The goose seemed to have discomfort and issues walking.”

Police are investigating. The penalty for shooting a goose with an arrow is a charge of animal cruelty, Godejohn said.

Animal 411

Seven Ducklings Rescued from Storm Drain at NCHS

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New Canaan Police Animal Control Officer Sean Godejohn on Wednesday morning rescued baby ducks stuck in a storm drain. At about 10 a.m., a passerby at New Canaan High School could hear the baby ducks calling out to their mom from the drain, Godejohn told NewCanaanite.com, and placed a call to responders. “If they had not been taken out of the storm drain they would have died,” Godejohn said. “Baby ducks don’t know how to properly preen themselves to waterproof their feathers.  So they become water logged and drown or become too cold and die.”

Godejohn was first on scene and called for the local Highway Department to help move aside a drain grate weighing about 200 to 300 pounds so he could get to the stranded ducklings. “I released the first duckling to the mother to try to keep her in the area,” Godejohn said.

Animal 411

‘Everything and Anything Is To Be Expected’: Springtime Wildlife in New Canaan [Q&A]

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With warmer weather finally arriving, New Canaan is seeing changes in the behavior of its wildlife, as well as the types of species that residents can expect to encounter with spring’s official start on Tuesday. We put some questions about the changes to Office Sean Godejohn, head of the New Canaan Police Department’s Animal Control section. Here’s our exchange. ***

New Canaanite: We’re getting some warm days this week. What kind of new wildlife should New Canaanites expect to start seeing?

Animal 411

Animal Control: Black Bear Seen Sunday in Irwin Park Has Moved On [VIDEO]

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A bear seen Sunday in Irwin Park (see video above, courtesy of Kevin Sheridan) was traveling through town and doesn’t live here permanently, according to the head of the New Canaan Police Department’s Animal Control section. The black bear “has moved back to New York,” according to Animal Control Officer Sean Godejohn. “I received reports of the bear heading in that direction from three different residents,” Godejohn told NewCanaanite.com in an email when asked about the animal. “None of the bears we have in New Canaan live here. To the best of my knowledge bears come into New Canaan just to pass through from New York and Wilton.”

Even so, the sighting is a good reminder to New Canaanites that there are bears in town, Godejohn said.