The Canada goose hesitated for about a minute when the door to its kennel opened.

Outside lay its home, Twin Lakes Park, and, feet away, the family it hadn’t seen in almost a month.

Once the goose stepped out of the kennel Monday, it walked straight to the rest of the gaggle on the banks of the upper lake and started grazing on grass.

“He seemed to fit right back in with the group,” said Lisa Kuncher of Unity.

The goose spent the last several weeks with Wildlife Works in Youngwood, a wildlife rehabilitation organization, recovering from an injury to its leg caused by discarded fishing line at the park. Staff there have been caring for geese, waterfowl and birds from around the county and region with similar wounds, some severe, related to fishing line and hooks.

It’s been an ongoing problem, said Aislinn Morris, Wildlife Works senior staff member.

The injuries have prompted some staff members to volunteer for hours over the past several weeks picking up discarded clumps of fishing line and dozens of lead sinkers and fishing hooks from the banks of Twin Lakes Park.

On her regular walks at the park, Kuncher spotted the goose limping in May. Days later, it was lying on the bank in distress. She was connected to Wildlife Works and got help from Wildlife in Need Emergency Response of Pennsylvania, a volunteer organization, to capture the bird on May 20.

Fishing line was wrapped around the goose’s leg. The leg was swollen and the bird couldn’t walk, plus it had a respiratory infection, which typically happens when a goose is grounded, said Shannon Sapolich, senior staff member with Wildlife Works.

It was medicated daily to clear up the infection, which ended up extending the bird’s stay. Once the wound related to the fishing line was healed, the goose was able to get back in the water in an outdoor enclosure until it was ready to be released Monday.

“It makes me so happy,” Kuncher said while watching the goose return home.

Canada geese, which are federally protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, are family-oriented creatures, so any disruption to the unit creates stress. If Wildlife Works staff are able to successfully rehabilitate geese that come into their care, the birds are released in the same area where they were found.

Twin Lakes is a popular fishing spot that straddles Hempfield and Unity. The park at one time had PVC pipe receptacles for disposal of line and other tools of the trade, but they were removed a few years ago after staff encountered the receptacles getting stuffed with trash unrelated to fishing, Westmoreland County park management has said. A PVC receptacle along with a sign was near the upper lake Monday.

Kuncher regularly picks up discarded fishing line and other items on walks at the park.

“I’m a former fisherman, and it’s sad,” said her husband, Kevin Kuncher.

Wildlife Works continues to care for a gosling from Twin Lakes Park that is recovering from a fishing line injury, among others with similar wounds.

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