Sullivan's Pond geese catch a ride to their winter home

Many birds fly south for the winter, butthe nine geese that live atSullivan's Pond ride in a van to their winter home.

Volunteers transported the birds Tuesday fromthe Dartmouth pond to Hope For Wildlife's facility in Seaforth. N.S., about half an hour away.

The non-profit groupprovides a safe placefor the birds to live outside for the winter with plenty of shelter.

"It would be stressful for them to be indoors," says Kate Sexton, who has a full-time administration role with the group.

Not native to Nova Scotia, the domestic white geese need access to shelter to survive cold winters. They are too large to fly south.

"The geese seemed to know the drill and surprised me with how calm they were," said Corinne Hartley-Robinson on the group's Facebook page.

Many blankets were placed under the geese for protection during the ride in the utility van.

It wasn't difficult to get them into the van, said Sexton.

"The geese seemed to enjoy their trip, they watched out the window," said Sexton.

The geese are transported back to Sullivan's Pond each summer when the temperatures are above zero and the pond is clear.