Following a brief illness, Triceragoose, the beloved, long-time resident of Westhampton Lake, has passed away.

For many years, Triceragoose was a fixture of campus life, equal parts legend and local celebrity. Students quickly learned her lore: her portrait hangs above the fireplace in Tyler Haynes Commons, and her likeness appears on T-shirts that have repeatedly sold out in the campus bookstore. She even inspired her own video and is immortalized in a mural in Boatwright Memorial Library. 

Her nickname came from the distinctive knob atop her beak, resembling a triceratops. Despite frequent speculation about her origins, she was a Chinese goose — a domesticated breed of swan goose (Anser cygnoides).

Her personality inspired debate: to some, she was a campus sweetheart; to others, a vigilant — and sometimes intimidating — guardian of her territory, reinforcing her reputation as both cherished and formidable. 

This particular Chinese goose has been at UR for generations of students. Some recall a similar bird in the early 2000s, possibly the same goose.

In life, Triceragoose was a symbol of the University’s unique character — a creature both ordinary and extraordinary, familiar yet mythic. In her passing, she leaves behind a legacy that will endure in campus stories, traditions, and the fond memories of those who crossed her path.