Yesterday morning, Roosevelt Island’s popular wild turkey, Rosie, got trapped in the subway station. Does anyone know what happened to her?
by David Stone
The Roosevelt Island Daily News
How Rosie got into the subway station is unknown, but we also don’t know how or when she got out.
Trapped
Like other birds, large and small, Rosie was baffled by the glass. Birds have not evolved with an understanding of hard, see-through surfaces. Millions die every year smashing into glass towers. Fortunately, the local turkey was confused at the ground level.
A friend sent The Daily photos of the trapped bird, time-stamped at 8:13 a.m. But we’ve been unable to find any information about what became of her after. I didn’t see her in the afternoon when I walked around her normal stomping ground. A RIOC crew was mindlessly blowing leaves and lots of dust everywhere; so, she may have fled.
Checking around
Late breaking: RIOC Communications Director Bryant Daniels reports seeing Rosie safely making her rounds yesterday afternoon.
We emailed RIOC. Had they heard anything? Public Safety provides free security guard services at Duane Reade, just a few feet away. RIOC did not respond, and the PSD never answers media questions.
We texted animal rescue specialist Rossana Ceruzzi at the Wildlife Freedom Foundation. Ceruzzi has been concerned, as have others, with Rosie’s safety. She crosses roads with abandon and has no protective flock around her.
As of last evening, no one had contacted Ceruzzi. “Nobody called,” she told us. “Was PSD there?” No way of knowing the answer to that.
Finally, we asked if anyone had information about her on all our Facebook pages. No one reported seeing her.
Reach Out
Many are concerned about Rosie’s safety. If you have any information or if you see her, please let us know. Thank you.
What the Promenade Remembers
The light on the East River in the early morning is different from the light anywhere else on the Island. It comes in low and sideways, catching the water in long, uneven flashes. On certain days it makes the promenade feel less like a walkway and more like a corridor someone once meant to finish but never quite did. When I was younger I found the suggestion to stop and look at it faintly ridiculous.
