A dog who adopted orphaned goslings on an Angus farm after their mother was killed has become a global internet sensation.
Footage of Cara playing mum to the five goslings was uploaded to YouTube and has now received well over half-a-million views from people across the world.
Cara took the goslings under her wing after their mother was taken by a fox while sitting on her eggs waiting for them to hatch.
A paragliding club visited the farm and one member captured the footage of Cara looking after the goslings.
The six-minute video shows Cara being followed by the goslings, playing with them, and stopping every so often to count them and make sure all five are still there.
Now, four years after the footage was uploaded, the video is close to 550,000 views something which has amazed Cara’s proud owner, Bonnie Blair-Imrie, who stays at Lunan Farms near Montrose.
She told The Courier: ”One of our geese laid eggs and was sitting on them when she was taken by a fox. We had a 24-hour dash to find an incubator to use to hatch the geese eggs. Once the goslings were born, Cara took them on as her own.
”The goslings began following her around the farm and saw her as a mother figure.”
She added: “When I found out it has gathered over 500,000 hits, I couldn’t believe it. I’m amazed that many people have seen it.”
Former ballet dancer Bonnie set up Lunan Life Farm with her boyfriend, Scott, and the farm sells traditional pork, local food produce and arts and craft.
Bonnie said that they got Cara from Angus Help for Abandoned Animal’s shelter just before the goslings were born.
Cara continues to live on the farm and has a close relationship with the other animals.
Bonnie said: ”She was brought into the rescue centre as she was found wandering the streets. She is quite a placid dog and makes friends easily.
”As for the goslings, they all grew up and only one of the five is still with us. The rest were sold. We have pigs, ducks, chickens and goats and they all get on with Cara.”
The YouTube video has received 1,398 likes from viewers across the globe. Over 400 comments have also been left from people who were bowled over by the loving relationship between the animals.
One said: ”I love how he looks at each of them every few seconds, like he’s doing a head count to make sure everyone’s there.”