It was a heartbreaking photo of two geese being separated before they were sent to slaughter in the Guangdong Province, that the image of their tender, final moment kissing each other touched hearts and quickly went viral.
The owner of the geese, identified as Deng, said the two had been raised at her family home in the rural city of Meizhou; the two had grown up together and became closely bonded. Geese are monogamous and live in pairs. So why did Deng sentence the two lovers to death? According to the woman and thus, the obvious disgust of the Chinese on Weibo, Deng stated the male goose attacked the family dog – plus her full-time job prevented her family from properly taking care of the lovers.
Tens of thousands of Internet users shared the photo – which has since been etched in time forever, repeatedly comparing the two as “star crossed lovers,” referencing Shakespeare’s tragic play Romeo and Juliet. Two days after the photo went viral, the owner of the geese admitted one had been sold and eaten, and the other one left at home had also been eaten, because it hurt the dog.
The GB Times posted some of the comments – most people agreed it was truly a sad day for love:
@paper-pen: Human beings are so brutal! It’s such a sad story! May they rest in peace!
@feishuibuke: The kiss was the last one in their lifetime!! What poor geese!!!(crying)
@weimei: I feed a goose in my family, and I will never kill it!
@Handsame-Tian: Geese in the countryside are doomed to end up this way, so don’t blame the owners. It is not their fault anyway.
(Photo of two geese via Weibo and GB Times)
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I’m surprised they didn’t send the dog off to slaughter also. Heartbreaking!!!
I HATE the Chinese for their wanton cruelty to animals! Eating your own pets????? That’s depravity.
Sweet story ended up a tragedy.
HORRIBLE!!!! SO SAD!!!!
There was a right choice and that was to let these geese live! Shame on these humans for crimes against nature!
-BLAME THE OWNERS
Sometimes animals do not get along and should be separated. Okay, so find another place for these two geese to live their lives out away from the dog; you don’t have to kill and eat them, you crazy pieces of shit. Ruthless people.
They are going to eat the dog anyway. Goose was protecting his mate. Had it happen to me.
Once again China wears the unenviable label of ‘CRUELEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD’ – these geese have more compassion than that whole country. These so called ‘owners’ can make up all the excuses they want – I believe none of it.
They were concerned because the goose ran at the dog? What hypocrisy, the barbarians are surly planning on eating dog, too. This Godless society is raw barbarism. Shame on them as they chose to be and act souless.