Did you know that geese mate for life? Geese often pair up during mating season and remain faithful to each other for good, working together to raise their young.
It’s very romantic — but it can also lead to heartbreak when a goose dies, leaving their monogamous partner suddenly alone.
That was the case for one goose, who was left heartbroken after her beloved mate’s death — until some friends helped get her back on the dating scene.
Blossom and Bud, a mated pair of geese, lived happily together at the pond of Riverside Cemetery in Marshalltown, Iowa.
But after five years together, their romance was cut short after Bud died. According to a Facebook post from Riverside Cemetery, Bud was killed by a wild animal.
Staff was heartbroken by the goose’s death, but no one was more heartbroken than Blossom. After her partner’s death, she was never the same.
“We started to notice that she was really seeming lonely and isolating herself,” Dorie Tammen, General Manager of Riverside Cemetery, told CBC Radio.
“It was clear that she was lonely and she needed a partner.”
This is the time of year when geese couple up with their partners, which only made Blossom’s loneliness worse. This will be her first spring season without a partner.
Photos show the lonely goose staring at her own reflection in the tombstones, as if searching for another goose to spend her days with.
So, her friends at the cemetery decided to step in and play matchmaker, setting out to find a new mate for Blossom.
Dorie wrote and shared this sweet “personal ad” on Facebook, hoping to find her a mate:
Lonely, widowed domestic goose seeks life partner for companionship and occasional shenanigans. Come share life with me at Riverside Cemetery, where you’ll enjoy swimming in the lovely lake, good food, numerous friends, and peeking in the door of the office building at the strange but kind humans there, who feed us lots of goodies. I’m youthful, adventurous and lively, and I’ve been told I’m beautiful.
While it was a longshot, Riverside Cemetery soon received a reply from someone who had a “lonely, widowed male goose” named Frankie.
According to the Washington Post, Frankie belonged to Deb Hoyt and her husband Randy, who run a horse rescue farm in Runnells.
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Like Blossom, Frankie had lost his own mate, Gretel (the geese were originally called “Handsome and Gretel” before they changed the male’s name to “Frankie,” after Frank Sinatra).
Deb, who adopted the geese in 2020, says Gretel disappeared and was likely attacked and killed by another animal. Frankie was heartbroken: “He (was) so lonely,” Deb told CBS News.
Realizing that Blossom and Frankie might just be two birds of a feather, she responded to the personal ad. Dorie and Deb arranged for the two geese to have their first date on Valentine’s Day.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t love at first sight: Frankie flew off as soon as he got out of his cage. Getting back into the dating scene can be tough, and who hasn’t gotten cold feet on a first date?
Thankfully, Frankie was found the next day and Dorie drove him back to meet Blossom. This time, they hit it off.
“It was love at first sight — or second sight,” Deb told CBS.
Blossom and Frankie began courting, and soon moved in together as Frankie relocated to Riverside Cemetery to be with her. “They started walking off together and they haven’t really left each other’s side since,” Dorie said.
The Hoyts are reportedly retiring and can’t take Frankie with them, so while it was bittersweet to say goodbye, they’re glad to see he’s found happiness in a new love.
“I’m sure he’s much happier with a whole flock of friends,” Deb said. “It was hard for us, but we know that it’s better for him.”
After finding each other, it’s been true love for Blossom and Frankie, who continue to enjoy each other’s company and spend their days together at the pond.
What a heartwarming story. We’re so glad that Blossom and Frankie have found new love with each other after both losing their mates ❤️ Thank you to all the kind humans who made this match possible!
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