A wild turkey that roamed Manhattan’s Battery Park for more than a decade, gaining a loyal following in the process, is feared dead, according to published reports.
The New York Times reports that the fowl named Zelda hasn’t been seen since late September, when a wild turkey strolling on South Street near Pier 11 was run over by a car.
The bird, named for frequent Battery Park visitor Zelda Fitzgerald, was the only known wild turkey living in Manhattan.
The paper reports that the bird likely flew south from the Bronx in early 2003. It was spotted making its way southward at other city parks throughout the spring before settling down in Battery Park.
Zelda hasn’t left since and has become a favorite among visitors. She had been a regular at Battery Conservancy events, mingling closely with humans. She also was known to walk through traffic at times and survived Sandy, which flooded the park.
Zelda is the second wild animal to die in Manhattan recently. Earlier this week, a black bear cub was found dead in Central Park.
