Although it’s a prized turkey that Scrooge sends an urchin boy to buy at the end of A Christmas Carol, goose was the original centrepiece on the Cratchit’s menu.

Much further back in history, the ancient Greeks ate goose as part of a ritual to ensure a good harvest; goose was an offering to Odin and Thor in Viking times; and in the Middle Ages goose was the centre piece in Michaelmas celebrations, which fell on the winter solstice.

Up until the middle of the last century it was common for families to keep a goose in their back yard or garden, fattening it up for the Christmas table, and goose is still the traditional Christmas meat of choice for many people.

So, it’s rather fitting that the ManxSPCA should have its very own Christmas goose (pictured) but, as you might expect, this bird will definitely not be ending up on a dinner plate.

He was found wandering by a roadside by a concerned member of the public who was worried that he had been hit by a car, or soon would be.

He is very lame with a swollen right hock, and underweight, which is a sure sign that he has worms.

We will ensure he receives the appropriate treatment over the next few days, and then he will go to live with other geese at a smallholding in St Mark’s.

Geese, like our Christmas one, are a common site across the island - they can be seen on farmland and grassland, and also in marine habitats which shows how well they are able to adapt to their environment.

Derbyhaven has had a pure white female goose living in its bay and on its breakwater for more than 15 years.

The ancestor of most of these geese is the greylag, which is the largest and bulkiest of the wild geese native to the UK and Europe.

They come in a range of colours from brown, buff, grey and white, or a mixture of these colours, and they can live for 20 years or more.

They live on grass and roots if they’re inland, and seaweed if they’re coastal. As with other wild birds, they benefit from our help at this time of year and will readily eat seed and bread.

Going back to geese in history, the Romans revered these birds and considered them to be sacred, and they were honoured in several annual rituals and celebrations for the part they played in saving Rome from its enemy, the Gauls.

In 390 BC the Gauls launched a night-time raid on the city. The guard dogs remained asleep, but the two temple geese sounded alarm as they saw the Gallic soldiers advancing - honking and flapping their wings. They alerted the Roman soldiers just in time, and Rome was saved.

The goose’s ability to detect strangers is, to a large extent, due to its amazing eye-sight. It has an extra light sensor in its eyes which enables it to see further and in clearer detail than most other birds or mammals. It’s also a very territorial bird.

Geese are still used to guard property in many parts of the world. In China they are used by many police stations, in Brazil they patrol the perimeters of several jails, and in France they protect vineyards.

Before the advent of pesticides, geese were also commonly used as weed-controllers - they are adept at eating grasses and shun most broad-leaf plans.

As we become more aware of the damage caused by pesticides, and strive to be organic, perhaps it’s time to see the return of more geese to our agricultural landscape. This under-rated species has a lot to offer.