THERE is good news on the Burrator goose, whose life was in danger after being shot by an arrow fired from a crossbow, which was reported in the Times (May 9).

The goose was left with an arrow shot right through its body at Burrator reservoir overnight on May 3 and was left in some distress — also leaving behind a disconsolate mate.

South West Lakes Trust South Dartmoor warden Kit Hancock and RSPCA welfare officer Simon Kite went out in a boat to pull the unfortunate bird out of the water.

Mr Kite said: 'It was a callous and completely unnecessary act of cruelty to shoot this bird in this way.

'If we had not come to the rescue there is no doubt he would have died a slow lingering death.'

It was taken to Drake's Vets in Yelverton and treated by vet Ulrika Hoffman-Johnson.

Although the goose lost a lot of blood, fortunately the arrow just missed the vital organs and the vets were able to save its life.

The white goose was dispatched to the RSPCA's wildlife centre in West Hatch, Somerset, where it went onto make a complete recovery.

So there was a happy reunion a few weeks later when Simon Kite was able to release the goose.

Simon Kite added: 'As soon as I put the gander in my arms to release him back she started calling out.

'She came running up the bank with excited flaps of the wings, and promptly told me to go away.

'They swam off together as if they had never been apart, non-stop chatting.

'It was a happy ending no-one would have expected if they had seen the bird weeks before with the arrow through him.'