A North Saanich mom is getting her 15 seconds of fame for some incredible multi-tasking.
Caitlin Oakley was in the middle of breastfeeding her infant daughter Willow Monday night when she heard the family’s cherished pet goose, Frankie, crying out for help just outside the front door.
“She’s done that before, she runs to our door if she’s threatened,” said Oakley.
When she went to investigate, she saw a large bald eagle trying to snatch the 20-pound goose.
“I just opened the door and the eagle was swooping down like, right there, and my instinct was to just run after her,” said Oakley. “My husband was quite happy he caught that.”
Happy, because a surveillance camera positioned outside the family’s front door caught the entire bizarre event.
A topless Oakley can be heard yelling “Hey!” repeatedly at the eagle before giving chase — baby in arm — with the eagle releasing its grip on Frankie and then flying away.
“I was in the middle of feeding her, so that’s why I didn’t have a shirt on and was kind of getting ready for the evening,” she recalled, laughing. “I just ran outside and when Mike came out he was like, ‘you’re topless.’ And I’m like yeah, no, I’m very aware. Sorry neighbours.”
@mikeylazic We have lost 3 chickens in the last week from what I was told was eagles which I believed hawks were preying on them but watch Frankie (our female goose) get taken. Mama bear mid breast feeding protecting her sweet Frankie. Officially living at a zoo 🦅 #nature #geese #eagle #eagleattack #yyj #victoriabc #eagles #mamabear #geeseofinstagram #eaglesofinstagram #canadasnature #naturechannel ♬ original sound – Mikey
Oakley said her husband — and his followers on TikTok, where he posted the short surveillance video — were “in absolute hysterics.” The clip had received more than 212,000 views as of Tuesday afternoon.
“Girl u are a queen for that all while the baby is still latched,” wrote one viewer. “PROOF WOMEN CAN DO IT ALL ‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️GOOD JOB MAMA,” wrote another.
She said this is the first time an eagle has preyed on one of their geese — they usually prefer to go after the family’s chickens, with three being killed in the last week.
But she wasn’t prepared to let anything happen to Frankie, who’s a member of the family in her own right.
“She’s like our little shadow. If we’re out gardening, she’s right behind us, she’ll nip at our clothes for treats, she’s such a presence in the yard. She just had a bunch of babies this year, so yeah, she’s a special little goose.”
Frankie was a little shaken up from the ordeal, but uninjured, and went right back to harassing her owners for treats on Tuesday.
The moral of the story? “You don’t mess with Frankie,” said Oakley.
Jeff Lawrence
