Joseph Kofi Kakraba, the caretaker and tour guide at Fort Amsterdam, has detailed how the Dutch, during the time of the slave trade, transported geese all the way from their home country, Holland, to rear at the fort in what was then the Gold Coast.
In an exclusive interview with GhanaWeb’s Etsey Atisu, Kakraba explained that the Dutch brought the geese to the fort with the specific purpose of acting as sensors.
The geese, he indicated, were trained to detect the presence of enemy forces, alerting the Dutch if enemies were approaching or hiding in the nearby forests.
Kofi Kakraba added that the geese would begin making noise to alert the soldiers of potential enemies hiding nearby, prompting them to take swift action to eliminate any threats.
“… They (slave masters) brought the geese from Holland to the courtyard. They had their pond for drinking water. The geese were in the courtyard alright, but they were able to sense from the forest.
“Once they sense someone in the forest, they begin to make noise for the soldiers to be alert,” he said.
Kofi Kakraba also shared how the geese played key and crucial roles in providing security for the soldiers, serving as an early warning system to detect any threats in the surrounding area.
Highlighting the strength of the geese, Kakraba stated that they were wilder than dogs, with their wings being powerful enough to fend off a human.
“They brought them for security purposes and they are still using the geese in Holland. They are very smart and wilder than the dogs and can fight a human with their wings,” he added.
The unique history surrounding Fort Amsterdam, a former colonial fort located at Abandze in the Central Region, has come to the forefront as GhanaWeb marks the celebration of Ghana Month.
The Fort Amsterdam is Britain’s first fort built in Africa.
Watch the video below:
MAG/AE
You can also watch some interviews with some Ghanaian artistes at the unveiling of the 2025 TGMA on GhanaWeb TV below:
