Meet the Armley man who lives with geese and takes them to the pub

Sven Kirby, 34, has been followed everywhere he goes by his two geese 'Norbert' and 'Beep Beep' since he got them as goslings on June 25 as goslings.

He has been spotted by Armley residents walking the geese and has even taken them to the pub - with many stopping for pictures and to greet the unexpected visitors.

Sven told the Yorkshire Evening Post the giant exhibition dewlap Toulouse geese are very placid.

Sven, who works as an admin assistant, said: "I've had my geese since about the 25th of June when I got them as goslings.

"I've had them since they were about 5 days old so they've imprinted on me and follow me everywhere.

"When I take them for walks, I have to keep my eye out for dogs but usually I walk them in the park or down at the canal so I can see any coming from a mile away.

"Most people are sensible and put their dogs on their lead when they see me coming with two geese following behind me."

However, Sven said his usual short walks have now become a marathon - with the combination of the geese's "tiny legs" and people stopping him to talk.

He added: "Often, what would be a short walk for me can take upwards of a couple of hours, combined with my geese's tiny legs and people stopping to talk with you every few minutes.

"They're both boys, so I don't get any eggs from them.

"Since having them I've discovered a lot of nice walks around Leeds that I wouldn't have otherwise considered.

"Usually, I'll try to find somewhere that there is water as well, although the geese wont leave my side to get in it so I have to pick them up and put them in the water if they're going for a swim."

Many residents have spotted Sven in and around Leeds.

The trio have become very popular in Armley, with residents using a local forum to report sightings of their walks.

Sven added: "This particular breed is technically used to make foie gras so they're very docile.

"They need to be when they're being handled regularly, they're not nearly as noisy or aggressive as people think."

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Thank you

Laura Collins