在新西兰
Thomas是一只雄性的大白鹅，过去的几十年里一只生活在Kapiti Coast的Waikanae。他为人所知，是因为与另一只同为雄性的黑天鹅Henry相恋24年，并接纳了另一只黑天鹅作为“小三”……最近，这个绵延30年的“大鹅爱情故事”终于画上了句号，Thomas死了。
Thomas在Waimanu Lagoon称得上是一个传奇。年轻时他一直生活在这里，但似乎对别的同类不感兴趣，偏偏喜欢上一只名叫Henry的黑天鹅。就这样，两鹅擦出了火花，在一起生活了24年。虽然他们都是雄性，生不出小鹅，但这些年来一直相亲相爱，和和睦睦。
十几年前，事情发生了变化。另一只名叫Henrietta的雌性黑天鹅闯入了他们的生活，并且与Henry生活在一起。面对“横刀夺爱”，Thomas并没有离开，而是接纳了Henrietta。就这样，Henry从同性恋变成了双性恋，Thomas还是“原配”。在接下来的6年里，Henry和Henrietta生下了好几窝小天鹅，Thomas对他们不离不弃，给小鹅们当起了叔叔。
三只鹅的故事成为当地人的美谈，直到Henry在2009年去世，时年30岁。最近5年来，Thomas的健康状况也不佳，还因为白内障双目失明，不得不接受专门的照顾。动物保护人士还为他制作了专门的饮水龙头。
来自惠灵顿鸟类康复信托基金的志愿者Craig Shepherd承担起Thomas的照护工作，他称Thomas是个“可爱的大鹅”，有着“五彩斑斓的过去”。
但让当地人难过的是，几天前Thomas离世，终年40岁。
“他是个特别的男孩，性格很好。Thomas我们的朋友，我们会想念你，愿你安息。”惠灵顿鸟类康复信托基金在Facebook上留言说。
通常来说，大白鹅的寿命在20到25年间，活到40岁实属罕见。
Thomas离世后，惠灵顿社会评论家、演员Pinky Agnew还专门赋诗一首，纪念这只特立独行的大白鹅。
BIRDS OF A FEATHER
They found the old swan, gently gone
The willow shading his rest
Beak tucked into his cold wing's fold
Henry lay in his final nest.
Three decades old, this big black bird,
Love found him a curious mate.
A white goose, Thomas, shared his life,
And his estuarine estate.
Other birds came and swam and went
None cut between this pair
Till one day Henry's neck arched up
As great black wings beat the air.
She came down red beak a-flash with fire
Soon sinuous necks entwined
Thomas, chilled, bobbed in their wake
As the two swans' hearts aligned.
What Henrietta saw in the old swan's eyes
Was a loyalty ever true
Henry wanted a family, yes
But Thomas was family too.
And so the three enjoined their lives
Reared scores of cygnet chicks
Companionably swam and spooned and such
But for lovers, time still ticks.
Two birds swim now, lulled it seems
By cicadas' dull summer buzz
Even a great heart like Henry's dies,
But a great love never does.