Local Wild Life (homes, dangerous, to move)

[ff18wife]

Ok, still be one of the nkotb around here....we have TONS of wild turkeys around my area. There is one female who I've seen on my property hopping around...literally on one leg. Is there an organization I can contact to try to catch this bird and fix it or is it just wildlife is wildlife, leave it be??

Thanks!!!!!!!!

[poconoproud]

you can call the

POCONO WILDLIFE REHABILITATION CENTER

POCONOWILDLIFE.COM
EMAIL: POCOWILD@PTD.NET

[thecoalman]

I don't know how many turkeys there are in PA but it must be in the hundreds of thousands, if anything they'd euthanize it and that is very unlikely. The only type of bird or animal that might get the interest of the Game Commission or anyone else is something endangered or something causing trouble. Other than that they are on their own

While on the topic don't interfere yourself, wild animals should be left to fend for themselves and a lot of times people think they helping when in fact they are being harmful. I don't know how how many times I've heard the story of someone finding a baby deer and deciding to "help" it when in in fact the mother is most likely very close by. They take it home and try to raise it, either killing it in the process or raise a deer that has to be farm kept. This FYI is illegal anyway.

That's besides the fact some of these animals that are injured are something else's lunch, might sound cruel to someone from the city but you're upsetting the balance of nature otherwise.

[ff18wife]

Originally Posted by ff18wife

Ok, still be one of the nkotb around here....we have TONS of wild turkeys around my area. There is one female who I've seen on my property hopping around...literally on one leg. Is there an organization I can contact to try to catch this bird and fix it or is it just wildlife is wildlife, leave it be??

Thanks!!!!!!!!

Holy crap...I must have been half asleep when I typed that..... "still be"... I think i meant "being" but was typing too darned fast...that and I'm still getting used to a new keyboard.

[ff18wife]

Originally Posted by thecoalman

I don't know how many turkeys there are in PA but it must be in the hundreds of thousands, if anything they'd euthanize it and that is very unlikely. The only type of bird or animal that might get the interest of the Game Commission or anyone else is something endangered or something causing trouble. Other than that they are on their own

While on the topic don't interfere yourself, wild animals should be left to fend for themselves and a lot of times people think they helping when in fact they are being harmful. I don't know how how many times I've heard the story of someone finding a baby deer and deciding to "help" it when in in fact the mother is most likely very close by. They take it home and try to raise it, either killing it in the process or raise a deer that has to be farm kept. This FYI is illegal anyway.

That's besides the fact some of thes
e animals that are injured are something else's lunch, might sound cruel to someone from the city but you're upsetting the balance of nature otherwise.

I would NEVER even attempt to get near it. The turkeys around here are "fraidy cats".....if I even go out onto my balcony and they're 75 ft away in the yard...they take off running.

This hurt one hops pretty good. She hopped away when I went to get the mail the other day. She was standing next to the mail box.

I'll try that Pocono Wildlife place...maybe shoot them an email and see what they say. I just can't see the poor thing suffering. She's been hopping around my area for God only knows how long.

Thanks!!!!!!

[thecoalman]

Originally Posted by ff18wife

I just can't see the poor thing suffering. She's been hopping around my area for God only knows how long.

Animals are quite adaptable to situations like that and if its been hopping around for that long..... What do you think they are going to do? Only thing they could do is capture it and put it in a cage.

[ff18wife]

True, true. Just thought I'd give it a shot. ;-)

[lialleycat]

If the Turkey is eating and seems to be doing alright otherwise, I recommend leaving her be. As thecoalman said, animals are quite resiliant and learn to do without appendages all the time. As long as she can fly from danger and eat without a problem, she'll probably have a 'normal' lifespan. If she's injured to the point where she's starving to death, then I'd make the call. Either they'll let nature take it's course and she'll be prey for a fox or something, of if they need a turkey for an educational display animal, they may come and get her.

I also run into similar issues with turtles instead of deer that thecoalman mentioned. People call around here all the time about finding turtles that were 'not anywhere near water' and they 'saved' them by bringing them home or to a park. Usually it's a box turtle, which is a land turtle. Most often they've just commited that turtle to death as they do not relocate well and do not do well (and are illegal) to keep in captivity, further reducing an already threatened population. If the turtle is in a dangerous location - such as crossing a roadway - the best thing to do is to move it out of harms way in the direction in which is was heading. I get out of my car a lot to move turtles across the road. Always to the side they were headed to anyway.

[nkotb]

Originally Posted by ff18wife

Ok, still be one of the nkotb around here....we have TONS of wild turkeys around my area. There is one female who I've seen on my property hopping around...literally on one leg. Is there an organization I can contact to try to catch this bird and fix it or is it just wildlife is wildlife, leave it be??

Thanks!!!!!!!!

I thought you were addressing me, and I couldn't figure out what you were trying to say !!!!! Now that you mention it I should change my 'handle' to Okotb !!!

[ff18wife]

Originally Posted by nkotb

I thought you were addressing me, and I couldn't figure out what you were trying to say !!!!! Now that you mention it I should change my 'handle' to Okotb !!!

LOL...sorry...just using a shortened version...I think I was just being lazy!!