The untimely death of Larry the Turkey

Published at http://word.emerson.edu/jsons/2018/04/19/the-death-of-larry-the-turkey/

Larry, the legendary turkey whose havoc-wreaking ways made him somewhat of a celebrity in West Roxbury, was struck and killed by a car on February 17th. The bird died doing what he loved — playing in traffic. In the months leading up to his death, Larry made a name for himself by wandering onto the VFW Parkway, weaving through traffic, and pecking at cars, which caused disruptions for many on their morning commute, according to The Boston Globe. The brazen bird would create stand still traffic, prompting some drivers to get out of their cars to shoo Larry to the side of the road, only to have him run back into the street moments later. “There is a wild feisty turkey who keeps running out on the roadway causing traffic to slow down and stop,” one frustrated motorist said in a 311 call just days before Larry’s demise. “This has been going on for at least a week. Someone is going to be injured by this daring turkey. Animal control needs to move it, contain it or euthanize it.” “You will be missed on the morning commute,” Jessica Rivera, a West Roxbury resident, wrote on Facebook, according to the Globe. “Gobble gobble old friend.” CBS Boston reported that the Boston Animal Control was contacted in the weeks prior to his death, and that they alerted the Environmental Police and the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, but no efforts were ever made to remove and relocate Larry the Turkey. The reasoning behind Larry’s behavior was never completely clear.  According to CBS Boston, the determined bird might have been claiming the area as his territory and scaring away cars who he might have believed to be rivals. But some West Roxbury residents don’t buy that theory; they maintain that Larry was likely waddling his way through traffic as a means of getting over a broken heart, the result of the loss of a lover, according to the Globe. Larry was a polarizing figure in his hometown of West Roxbury. On a daily basis, he brought amusement and frustration to residents and commuters.  Whether he made you smile or roll your eyes he became an integral part of the community, and Larry the brazen Turkey will maintain his position as the most annoying and most loved bird in the entire Greater Boston area, likely for years to come.