Maria (goose)
Encyclopedia
Maria is a male Greylag Goose
(Anser anser), formerly living in Echo Park, Los Angeles who became the subject of news reports in 2011 after forming an unusual association with a local resident, named Dominic Ehrler.
Maria, named by locals and assumed to be female, was familiar to users of the park for several years as a goose which preferred the company of humans to that of his own species, often pecking at homeless people or following walkers and runners around.
Ehrler, a retired salesman, first encountered Maria at Echo Park lake in the summer of 2010 when the bird began to following him on his daily walks around the lake, readily accepting food from him and soon becoming so attached that he would wait beside the road every morning for Ehrler to arrive at the park. Maria would walk alongside and possessively 'protect' Ehrler from other park users and their dogs and would also attempt to follow him from the park, flying closely behind him as he rode away on his scooter
, necessitating attempts to distract the goose, or lock him behind a fence when leaving, to avoid being followed all the way home.
Maria, along with the other geese present at Echo Park were temporarily relocated to Los Angeles Zoo
in April 2011 and placed into quarantine
, as the park undergoes restoration and the lake is drained. It was at this time that veterinarians at the zoo discovered that Maria was in fact a male goose. Zoo officials have stated their plans to house Maria at a children's zoo, though it has also been suggested that the Echo Park geese will be relocated to another lake. Ehrler continues to visit Maria at the zoo and has stated his intention to maintain the friendship and follow him to his new home, also raising the possibility of moving to Oregon
with the goose.
Maria has also appeared in the 2010 music video
for the song "End Love
" by the rock band OK Go
, which has received over 4 million views on YouTube
, the band having decided to feature Maria prominently in the video after he bit guitarist Andy Ross
during filming at the park.
Greylag Goose
The Greylag Goose , Anser anser, is a bird with a wide range in the Old World. It is the type species of the genus Anser....
(Anser anser), formerly living in Echo Park, Los Angeles who became the subject of news reports in 2011 after forming an unusual association with a local resident, named Dominic Ehrler.
Maria, named by locals and assumed to be female, was familiar to users of the park for several years as a goose which preferred the company of humans to that of his own species, often pecking at homeless people or following walkers and runners around.
Ehrler, a retired salesman, first encountered Maria at Echo Park lake in the summer of 2010 when the bird began to following him on his daily walks around the lake, readily accepting food from him and soon becoming so attached that he would wait beside the road every morning for Ehrler to arrive at the park. Maria would walk alongside and possessively 'protect' Ehrler from other park users and their dogs and would also attempt to follow him from the park, flying closely behind him as he rode away on his scooter
Scooter
-Vehicles:*Kick scooter, a two-wheeled non-motorized vehicle, primarily a child's play thing, designed to have the rider primarily in the standing position, propelled by a rider pushing off the ground...
, necessitating attempts to distract the goose, or lock him behind a fence when leaving, to avoid being followed all the way home.
Maria, along with the other geese present at Echo Park were temporarily relocated to Los Angeles Zoo
Los Angeles Zoo
The Los Angeles Zoo , is a zoo founded in 1966 and located in Los Angeles, California. The City of Los Angeles owns the entire zoo, its land and facilities, and the animals...
in April 2011 and placed into quarantine
Quarantine
Quarantine is compulsory isolation, typically to contain the spread of something considered dangerous, often but not always disease. The word comes from the Italian quarantena, meaning forty-day period....
, as the park undergoes restoration and the lake is drained. It was at this time that veterinarians at the zoo discovered that Maria was in fact a male goose. Zoo officials have stated their plans to house Maria at a children's zoo, though it has also been suggested that the Echo Park geese will be relocated to another lake. Ehrler continues to visit Maria at the zoo and has stated his intention to maintain the friendship and follow him to his new home, also raising the possibility of moving to Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
with the goose.
Maria has also appeared in the 2010 music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for the song "End Love
End Love
"End Love" is an alternative rock song by OK Go from the album Of the Blue Colour of the Sky. The song's lyrics deal with the sorrow period of time after the end of a relationship...
" by the rock band OK Go
OK Go
OK Go is a rock band originally from Chicago, Illinois, USA, now residing in Los Angeles, California, USA. The band is composed of Damian Kulash , Tim Nordwind , Dan Konopka and Andy Ross , who joined them in 2005, replacing Andy Duncan...
, which has received over 4 million views on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
, the band having decided to feature Maria prominently in the video after he bit guitarist Andy Ross
Andy Ross
Andy Ross , is an American musician most famous as guitarist, keyboardist and vocalist for the rock band OK Go since 2005. He is also behind a solo project, Secret Dakota Ring, which released albums in 2004 and 2008...
during filming at the park.