Lucky Turkey Returned to the Wild

A wild turkey who was in March was returned home last month.

Maggie Ciarcia, a Carmel-based wildlife rehabilitator, said she released the tom turkey on April 3 at the Weinberg Nature Center in Scarsdale, which is near where it was originally found.

The tom turkey’s departure didn’t receive nearly as much fanfare as his highly publicized near death experience, but the turkey didn’t seem to mind.

“We went into the woods and released and he knew exactly where he wanted to go,” Ciarcia said. “We tried to take pictures of him while he was being released, but it was hard. He was gone as soon as he was released.”

The turkey was found on March 8 when Tina Coleman, a New Rochelle resident known for her work rescuing animals, discovered it injured on the Hutchinson River Parkway, near the Mamaroneck Avenue exit. It appeared that the turkey was clipped by a car.

Coleman took the bird to the Manor Veterinary Clinic in Pelham, where Dr. Rich Jakimer treated it with antibiotics, hydrated and given medicine to deal with the pain.

The turkey seemed dazed at the time and was approachable that it allowed humans to pet it in on the head without fighting back.

The turkey was then taken to Ciarcia. There, it was discovered that the turkey lost its eyesight, possible due to parasites or head trauma.

Ciarcia the turkey gradually regained its strength and was dewormed. The turkey came to her weighing 15 pounds, but grew larger in a short period of time.

“When he regained his eye sight, he could fly and he could whack me with those big wings,” Ciarcia said. “He regained everything. He was such a strong bird. Once I left him outside for a while, it was obvious that he was ready to go. When I approached him, he knew to go the other way. When I got too close, he knew to be aggressive like he should be.”