Turkey Who Was Just Rescued In South Jersey Town Is Euthanized

HADDON HEIGHTS, NJ — The wild turkey was just rescued last week after gaining fame in Haddon Heights for wandering the streets. His new owner expected he was finally safe.

Just three days later, however, "Glenny" was euthanized by the US Department of Agriculture. And the owner of the animal farm that became his new home, Laurie Zaleski, demanded answers on Friday, furious that federal officials made a decision that, she says, was “senseless and beyond comprehension.”

The USDA removed Glenny from the Mays Landing-based rescue and then euthanized him, saying he posed a danger to other wildlife animals.

“The wild turkey was placed with domestic fowl prior to being quarantined for disease," USDA spokesperson Tanya Espinosa said. “Based upon protocols specified in a 2019 Wildlife Services agreement between the USDA and NJDFW, the turkey was humanely euthanized since it had been in contact with domestic birds and presented a disease risk to native wildlife.”

Zaleski, who spoke to Patch on Friday, said the USDA's words were “just an excuse” and said this situation is not unprecedented for Funny Farm. She also said there was no indication that Glenny had a disease.

Zaleski said they checked him for any signs of disease, and found nothing. They fed him and gave him water because he was underweight, Zaleski said. If the USDA was concerned he was sick, Zaleski wonders why they didn't test him.

“We have rescued many wild turkeys, Canada Geese, and other wild birds who were all set free at the Funny Farm,” Zaleski said. “Glenny was going to be released and allowed to go and fly wherever he wanted in a huge wooded area surrounding the Funny Farm.”

“I would’ve paid for that,” Zaleski said. “ … We are a drop-off location for injured wildlife. We help Fish and Wildlife daily. We are governed by the Southern Region and acted legally and with their permission. We are all humans. All we did was try to help an animal and give him a chance for a happy, healthy life.”

Espinosa didn't respond to follow-up questions.

Glenny first appeared in September and gained notoriety among the city's residents. A child gave him the name "Glenny" after he was spotted near Glenview Elementary School, and a Facebook page with more than 1,000 followers became dedicated to his every move.

But soon, Glenny became what Espinosa described as a "nuisance" to the residents. He wandered into the Black Horse Pike and began pecking at cars. In at least one instance, police were called to divert traffic for public safety, according to Espinosa.

Zaleski said the residents of the city had been asking various groups for help for four months. When no one responded, the city council agreed to let Funny Farm pick Glenny up.

“We stepped up when no one else would. We called the Southern Region NJ Fish and Wildlife Department,” Zaleski said. “They gave us permission to take Glenny to the Funny Farm, which we did.”

She said Glenny had become accustomed to people, and disputed Espinosa's assertion that he had become a nuisance.

“He wasn’t chasing the cars, he just saw his reflection and thought it was another turkey,” Zaleski said. “They have real personalities.”

However, he was likely to cause an accident or be killed if he wasn’t taken from Haddon Heights to the Mays Landing-based rescue.

“We have rescued many wild turkeys, Canada Geese, and other wild birds who were all set free at the Funny Farm,” Zaleski said. “Glenny was going to be released and allowed to go and fly wherever he wanted in a huge wooded area surrounding the Funny Farm.”

Zaleski said she’s never been involved in a situation this extreme.

“This is your taxpayer dollars at work, dealing with a turkey that we already had a solution for,” Zaleski said. “Who decided this? I want to find that out.

“Wildlife belongs to no one, including Fish and Wildlife, USDA and anyone else,” Zaleski said. “At the Funny Farm, we let animals come and go and live their lives the way they were meant to live them...free! We are so sorry for everyone who loved him. We loved him too.”