Her family says she was feeding ducks when geese chased her, knocked her down, and left her with multiple pelvic fractures.
ROYSE CITY, Texas — A 72-year-old Royse City woman is in a Dallas trauma center after her family says a group of geese knocked her to the ground and repeatedly pecked her while she was feeding ducks at City Lake Park. For Lydia West, feeding the ducks at the lake is part of her normal routine.
“It’s part of her normal routine,” her son, David West, said in an interview with WFAA. “She went to the City Lake as she usually does, and she was feeding the little ducks.”
City Lake Park is a popular spot for walking and feeding ducks and geese, and is home to a variety of waterfowl, according to park and trail listings for the area. But Monday morning, David says that the peaceful ritual turned dangerous.
“Apparently, some large geese came up to her and started attacking the food,” he said. “She fell hard to the ground, tried to get up and flee, and the geese actually chased her down. She was trapped on the ground, unable to move,” he added.
Lydia, he said, is “very small statured” and has other health concerns that make a fall much more serious. David says a couple walking through the park saw what was happening and rushed in.
“They were able to get the geese off of her, and they called the paramedics,” he said.
Lydia was first taken to a local hospital, then transferred to a Dallas trauma center for more extensive care. David says doctors quickly realized the damage from the fall was significant.
“Several breaks on one side of her pelvis,” he said, listing what they found. “She also had internal bleeding.”
Davis said his mother is now stable, but because of her age and health issues, doctors decided against surgery.
“She has a long road of physical therapy and learning how to be able to walk,” he said. The family says she is currently being treated at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas.
‘She was shocked geese could even be that territorial’
David said his mother has been going to City Lake Park for a long time and never imagined that feeding ducks could end this way.
“For her, it was a shock that the geese could even become that territorial and could hurt somebody,” he said.
Canada geese and other waterfowl often congregate in urban parks, where human feeding can make them bolder around people. Wildlife agencies say geese can become aggressive when they’re defending territory or when they’ve learned to expect food from visitors.
Most encounters don’t end in serious injuries, but falls while trying to escape an attack can, especially for older adults. Goose attacks on humans have been linked to broken bones and head injuries, according to nuisance-wildlife guidance from several wildlife agencies.
WFAA went to City Lake Park on Tuesday afternoon and noticed three large brown Chinese geese that appeared more territorial than other Canadian geese that were there. Some domesticated Chinese goose breeds — including the brown variety — are known to be alert, vocal, and occasionally aggressive ‘watch-geese,’ especially if they feel threatened or are guarding territory.”
David said he only understood how common aggressive goose behavior can be after he started looking online.
“It just sounded so out there,” he said of the call he got at work. “I’ve been getting a call in the middle of the day at work that my mother’s being transported to the hospital because geese attacked her. It was something so ironic and odd. Now, I’ve done research online and realized that, okay, it happens, but it’s just such an odd feeling, and it’s still a shock to process.”
City: Incident ‘uncommon,’ signage under consideration
Royse City’s Parks and Community Programs Manager confirmed the “uncommon” attack to WFAA. In a written statement, he said he would consider interpretive signage at the park to help educate visitors about how to coexist with the wildlife that call it home.
West says his primary goal in speaking out is to warn others — especially older residents who might not be online reading about wildlife encounters.
“One of our main concerns is being able to get a warning out there to the public,” he said. “Especially the senior community.”
A woman walking three small dogs told WFAA Tuesday afternoon that she avoids the geese at the park to prevent a confrontation between her animals and the wildlife.
David also worries about the financial toll ahead. He says his mother is on Medicare and has a fixed income, and that even with coverage, the lingering costs of trauma care and months of physical therapy will be difficult for the family.
For now, Lydia faces that long road of rehab and recovery — and a routine that will never feel quite as harmless again.