Tammy the Turkey Gives Thanks at Her New Home
By BRIAN THOMPSON
Updated 4:45 PM EDT, Thu, Nov 26, 2009
She earned the nickname Tammy the Turnpike Turkey while taking up residence at Exit 14B on the New Jersey Turnpike this fall.
Now, Tammy appears to be enjoying her new life at the Popcorn Park Zoo is South Jersey.
Tammy was captured just a few days before Thanksgiving, but given a new life at the zoo run by the Associated Humane Societies of New Jersey in Forked River. Her first friend--a rooster.
"She just clucks to him all day," said the Zoo's John Bergmann.
Tammy is still being kept in a cage while she gets acclimated to her new digs, according to Bergmann. Eventually she'll be able to roam the grounds on her own, "to do whatever she wants basically," Bergmann added.
What will keep her from 'flying the coop,' so to speak? Well, Bergmann said there's all that free food they spread out for the menagerie of rescued animals that call Popcorn Park home. (In addition to dozens of foul and other birds, the zoo has tigers, a camel, a black bear, and llamas that the public can view.)
And then there's Gobbles. He's a wild 'tom' turkey, and for at least two years now he's been without a mate. Bergmann expects that to change as soon as the two are introduced.
But until then, Bergmann said Tammy is enjoying her own thanksgiving feast of zoo food every day, while his staff fields calls from people anxious to see the turkey rescued from one of the New Jersey Turnpike's famous exits.
First Published: Nov 26, 2009 4:19 PM EDT
You Might Like
You have 2000 characters left
