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Kevin, the broken-winged Penticton goose, is back after mysterious disappearance

The locally famous bird hadn’t been seen in Penticton in months

Kevin is back!

After a mysterious three-month disappearance, Kevin, the famous Penticton broken-winged goose, has returned to his home at Okanagan Lake by the Peach.

“Well, looky looky, a positive Kevin sighting today. Definitely has been in hiding for last few months,” said Kyle Sunderman last week on Facebook. Sunderman has been visiting Kevin almost daily for the past year and posting Kevin updates to the Penticton Facebook group.

“In talking with a fellow who feeds him regularly, today is only the fourth time he has seen him in months,” said Sunderman last week.

Kevin has been a fixture at the beach at Okanagan Lake for years, unable to fly because of a broken wing. Because of his injury he is ostracized from other geese but is very friendly with his human friends.

But then around June, Kevin disappeared. It’s only in the last two weeks he has returned.

This most recent return saw Kevin hanging out with a snow goose for a few days. But that friendship was fleeting. Now Kevin is hanging around with the seagulls.

Kevin isn’t like other geese in that he’s very friendly with humans and will walk right up to people he knows.

There was quite the attempt to rescue him last winter when friends of Kevin were worried he might not make it through the season.

Several attempts were made to catch him but the wily goose evaded each try.

Offers to take Kevin poured in from all over B.C., locally in the Okanagan and from the U.S.

But Kevin made it through the winter with locals feeding him and visiting him.

For locals, Kevin has been a light during this dark pandemic.

“I’d say, through the past year, with COVID-19, Kevin has been the kind of light we’ve all needed. We’ve seen him persevere through freezing cold temperatures and being on his own and not being able to fly, showing us he can get through anything,” said Sunderman.

WATCH: Locals worry about winter for Kevin, the famous Penticton goose

READ MORE: Kevin the famous goose makes it through winter

To report a typo, email: editor@pentictonwesternnews.com.

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Monique Tamminga

About the Author: Monique Tamminga

Monique brings 20 years of award-winning journalism experience to the role of editor at the Penticton Western News. Of those years, 17 were spent working as a senior reporter and acting editor with the Langley Advance Times.
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