KENTWOOD, Mich. — Hundreds of people in West Michigan are closely following the delightful exploits of a turkey who calls an intersection in Kentwood his home.
Every morning as the sun begins to rise, a male turkey now referred to as "Gary Jr." comes down from his bed in the trees, and begins to search for whatever breakfast he can find.
After he gets something in his belly, he reportedly spends some time running after vehicles and people in his general vicinity.
Despite his sometimes naughty behavior, Gary Jr. has quite the fan following.
“It's something that's brings some positive light to dark times,” Cathy Kutschinski told FOX 17 early Tuesday morning. “Turkeys roost in the trees at night, but once it's daylight, Gary can be anywhere.”
FOX 17 first spoke to Kutschinski and a woman by the name of Kayla Smith in April 2022.
Smith had started a Facebook group to help follow the activities of a previous turkey, who they began collectively calling Gary.
Dozens of photos and videos began flooding into the social media page, with members commenting their own experiences with Gary on each post.
Sadly, the original Gary passed away in early 2022. He was buried in a small grave in Smith's backyard.
“He was a topic of discussion with a lot of people," Kutschinski said on Tuesday. "And that Facebook page still has literally over 1,000 people.”
The first time the two women met in person was at the interview with FOX 17 in 2022. They have since stayed in close contact.
“Her and I did get together after that initial interview," Kutschinski recalled. "Had lunch together, and we have still remained in touch to this very day.”
Recently, the Facebook page began lighting up again, as members noticed a new male turkey had taken to Gary's old stomping grounds.
“He's following in his footsteps," Kutschinski said. "Same antics of stopping traffic, chasing cars, blocking people from getting out of their driveways.”
While Kutschinski hasn't had the chance to meet Gary Jr. in person yet, she is looking forward to the moment.
“When you're out and about running errands, or coming to-and-from work or school... you want to know if you're going to have a Gary sighting today or not,” Kutschinski said on Tuesday with a gentle smile. “Just slow down and enjoy life.”
