Advertisement

Two turkeys rescued after daring escape from poultry trucks in North Carolina

Two turkeys were served Thanksgiving Day meals after escaping Death Row on poultry trucks and being rescued in North Carolina.

The turkeys, later named Moonpie and Casper, fell off meat trucks on their way to slaughter, Jennifer Gordon, founder and executive director of the non-profit Carolina Waterfowl Rescue, said on Facebook.

Moonpie, “the tiniest of all our turkeys,” “got quite banged up when she fell ... and suffered further injuries defending herself from predators,” Gordon said.

“Miraculously, she was spotted by a wonderful person who saw her running across a busy road and brought her to us,” according to the post, which said Moonpie “arrived starving, exhausted, and in immense pain.

“With the diligent care of our team she has a promising future.”

The turkeys were on separate meat trucks on different days when people spotted them alone along roads and called Carolina Waterfowl Rescue, according to Kara Lopp, spokeswoman for the rescue and rehab group. She said Casper was old enough that he could have jumped from the truck.

In a video the organization posted on Facebook, Moonpie appears to be a third of the size of the other white turkey, Casper.

The video shows Gordon helping feed the pair and another large gray turkey their vegetarian fare on Thursday. Live meal worms highlighted the menu, which also included bananas, lettuce and tomatoes.

Moonpie appears skittish about eating at first, likely because of the two much larger turkeys nearby. Volunteers separated Moonpie from them, and the bird began eating the food from a carved pumpkin.

Moonpie soon grew emboldened and went for the food on Casper’s plate. Casper stepped on the plate a couple of times in apparent defiance, but the two soon ate from the plate as if they’d been forever friends.

Thanks soon poured in on social media.

“I love you guys!” a woman wrote, recalling how she’d called the organization about an “abandoned and scared duckling” in Summerville, S.C.,that was soon rescued.

“THANK YOU,” wrote another woman, “for all your hard work, dedication and most of all your big hearts in caring for all the wonderful animals you take in and care for!”

Carolina Waterfowl Rescue, based in Indian Trail, takes in and cares for about 8,000 injured animals each year, according to its Facebook page.

Donations can be made at Facebook.com/cwrescue.