Turkules:

Meet Turkules (rhymes with Hurcules), a turkey who lived in West Orange, New Jersey. To say Turkules lived in West Orange is a vast understatement; this menace ruled the town with an iron feather. At three feet tall with a wingspan of over a yard, Turkules would strut down the middle of the street, oblivious to the rush hour traffic swerving to avoid him. Far from being afraid of being run over, he flapped his wings at drivers and pecked at the tires of parked cars, even causing traffic jams that were over a mile long. For such a brazen bird, Turkules had a subtle side, and was adept at evasion. When the local government finally had enough of his shenanigans, they decided to capture and relocate him, a feat that is more easily said than done. The turkey-hunt lasted over a month and tested the wills of both fowl and officials. During this pursuit, Turkules went from infamous nuisance to local celebrity. West Orange residents cheered for him as he dodged nets, evaded government employees, and withstood a shot from a tranquilizer gun. As he waddled around with a tranq dart embedded in his breast, the town came together to organize a hometown hero event in his honor. The story of Turkules came to an end when, after weeks of chasing, the New Jersey Department of Agriculture was finally able to net and relocate him to Wharton state forest, where he lives today.

Albert:

Nicknamed the “world’s friendliest turkey,” Albert was initially raised for one purpose: Thanksgiving dinner. Born on a farm in California, Albert had no idea of the unlucky fate that awaited him and his fellow turkeys. Locals would visit the farm to select which turkey would decorate their tables that Thanksgiving;  discussing the matter right in front of the unfortunate birds. When Albert was finally selected, he feared the worst and resigned himself to the gruesome fate. However, Albert was not destined for the dinner table; the man who bought him had saved his life. From then on, Albert lived with the man, named Brant Pinvidic, as a member of the family. Albert earned his title of “world’s friendliest turkey” due to his outgoingness and compassion, along with his tendency to play with kids and other pets. Albert’s fame came from his popular Instagram account, @alberttheturkey, where he was able to share his kindness and lifestyle with the world.