Get Marty: Injured Wild Turkey Runs 'Afowl' Of Rescuers
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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- They call her Alice the turkey.
Most of the time, she can be found sitting on top of a shed in a backyard on the city's North Side. Sometimes she sits there for hours on end.
On the ground, she hops along on one leg. And that's the problem.
Mary Jo Tschannen: "She has been here, probably five to six weeks."
KDKA's Marty Griffin: "And you kept an eye on her?"
Tschannen: "Yes, I have."
Griffin: "What's the issue?"
Tschannen: "She has a broken left foot, or toes."
So, Mary Jo Tschannen reached out to KDKA's Get Marty in hopes of saving the wild turkey's life.
Tschannen: "Turkeys aren't real good unless they can run to get a start. They need at least 12 miles an hour running."
Griffin: "So this affects her take off?"
Tschannen: "Yes, it does. And her landing. I believe she may have been attempting a takeoff and may have hit a vehicle with that foot."
Tschannen has tried to rescue Alice several times.
"Twice I tried to catch her myself with some help to throw a blanket over her, welding gloves and crate ready, but it stressed her out too bad and she almost flew into traffic," said Tschannen.
KDKA's Marty Griffin Reports:
Frankie's Friends Cat Rescue service have come in to try to capture the wayward bird.
Griffin: "Obviously, you rescue cats. Do you rescue other animals?"
Watkins: "Dogs, we've had. Different animals."
Griffin: "Have you ever rescued a turkey?"
Watkins: "I have never rescued a turkey."
Turns out, Alice the turkey is not easy to rescue. If anyone gets too close, she takes off.
"They are very smart, seems to be outsmarting me right now," Watkins said.
When they catch Alice the turkey, the rescuers plan to get her to a veterinarian immediately.
"Well, apparently her foot is broken, so she could be easy prey for any animal out here. So, we want to get her safe and get her better, and release her again," Watkins said.
If the rescuers manage to corral the bird, a vet is on standby to check Alice out and get her on the mend.
