Saying Farewell to Michael, the Unforgettable Turkey
Animal Stories from All-Creatures.org

FROM Catskill Animal Sanctuary
September 2021

Countless visitors couldn’t believe their eyes when they met Michael, a turkey who not only didn’t fear humans but actively sought their attention, following them around, pressing her chest into their legs, and spreading her wings to ask for hugs.

Michael, our people-loving, heart-opening, sassy-girl turkey passed quickly and unexpectedly in her sleep after a day filled with her favorite things: roaming the Sanctuary, stealing snacks, getting hugs from her humans, doing her dinosaur run, and monopolizing the fan.

Words cannot capture the scope of our grief.

“Mikey” liberated herself at an early age, presumably from a turkey farm. We imagine she took one look around, and said, “I can do better.” That’s precisely what she did. Michael was brought to CAS by the staff member who found her — whom she was named after, before we discovered she was a girl. By the time we realized, Michael knew her name and that name stuck. She defied gender expectations just as she defied species expectations.

Countless visitors couldn’t believe their eyes when they met Michael, a turkey who not only didn’t fear humans but actively sought their attention, following them around, pressing her chest into their legs, and spreading her wings to ask for hugs.

For Michael, humans were only ever “friends,” and she invited us to imagine a reality where this could be true for all animals — for they want the same things as you and I. After twenty years of living and working among them, we know that for sure.

We’re crushed that we didn’t get a chance to say goodbye to our precious, game-changing, larger-than-life Michael, but we’re comforted that she never had a moment of suffering. Michael never knew a bad day, never knew pain. There too, she invites us to imagine a better world for all the turkeys just like her. They deserve a happy, love-filled life like she had.

Right now, while we mourn the turkey so many us loved, millions of turkeys are being hatched to die for this year’s Thanksgiving. Each one of those is as unique and lovable and worthy of kindness as our Michael.

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