Where Is West Orange’s Wandering Mascot, ‘Turkules?’

WEST ORANGE, NJ — The search for “Turkules” continues, authorities say.

Since its emergence near the area of Pleasant Valley Way in West Orange several weeks ago, a wild turkey has managed to elude capture from local, state and federal wildlife workers – giving the township a thrill in the process.

The bird has racked up a cult following on social media, where it now has its own Facebook page that has dubbed the animal “Turkules.” Its internet fame has since spawned additional glory, including a recent article in The New York Times.

In the meanwhile, an online petition is urging the township to issue Turkules and other turkeys an annual "pardon" during the Thanksgiving season and draft a protection ordinance that will promote education and the use of non-lethal capture methods.

Local sightings of the turkey have been inspiring a wave of posts on social media over the past few weeks, with several West Orange residents finding the animal’s random appearances to be a pleasant distraction from their normal routines.

However, it’s crucial that the public refrains from approaching the wild turkey for “safety reasons,” according to West Orange officials – including for the sake of the animal.

The township issued the following statement about the situation on Oct. 23:

“Please be advised the Township of West Orange is aware of the wild turkey present on Pleasant Valley Way, in the area of Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation and Daughters of Israel. West Orange Animal Control has been working with New Jersey Fish & Wildlife for the past two weeks to capture and relocate this turkey. It's crucial that the public refrains from approaching the wild turkey for safety reasons. Wild animals can become stressed or agitated when approached, which can pose risks to both the animal and humans. Feeding the turkey or attempting to remove tranquilizing darts is strongly discouraged. Interfering with the wildlife professionals' efforts can complicate the situation and potentially harm the turkey. New Jersey Fish and Wildlife authorities are actively working to capture and relocate the turkey. They have been trying to tranquilize the bird, but have encountered some challenges in their efforts so far.”

Since then, the turkey has remained on the loose – with a tranquilizer dart protruding from its chest, as seen in social media photos.

When several days went without a Turkules sighting this week, some of its fans began to wonder if it had been hit by a car, or suffered a similar sad fate.

The bird hadn't been captured as of Friday, a West Orange township spokesperson said.

Patch reached out to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection for an update on the search for Turkules, and was referred to the U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) for further comment.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the bird is still on the loose, a spokesperson with the federal agency told Patch.

“As of now, our program is still actively working to remove the turkey and/or verify that it was hit by a car,” they said. “At this time, we have not been able to verify the vehicle rumor.”

Thankfully, Turkules was spotted Tuesday at his usual prowling grounds, according to Jill Weiss, who snapped some awe-inspiring photos of the town's new mascot (who is now apparently dart-free).

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Learn more about advertising on Patch here. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site. Don’t forget to visit the Patch West Orange Facebook page.