Pardoning turkeys, Cooper isn’t NC’s 1st governor to save animals from the dinner table

For once two animals found their way onto the grounds of the Executive Mansion and the first family couldn’t adopt them.

Gov. Roy Cooper, who was joined by First Lady Kristin Cooper, took his gubernatorial duties to a new level on Monday — he pardoned two turkeys. It was the first time the North Carolina governor had pardoned turkeys, but it wasn’t the first time an animal had been pardoned by a governor in the state (more on that later).

The turkeys — Caroline and Sir Walter — roamed the grounds of the Executive Mansion taking in the sights before meeting the Coopers. Caroline, a 28-pound USDA-certified organic hen, came from a farm in Clinton. Her partner, Sir Walter, a 48-pound conventionally raised tom, came from a farm in Mount Olive.

Together the two will now live out the rest of their lives at Naylor Family Farm in Fuquay-Varina.

The two were transported to the mansion in personalized cages featuring white, cursive handwriting. Both birds were vocal during the event, and Sir Walter at times looked annoyed while on display.

The two stood tall once the ceremony was over. “I think they’re standing up for themselves,” Cooper quipped.

Cooper got to test out his best dad jokes during the pardoning. “So, Kristin asked me today if I had any good turkey jokes. I said, ‘nah, I’ll just wing it,’” the governor said as he opened up the festivities. The crowd gobbled it up.

He continued with other jokes about his daughters having “flown the coop” and then worrying about adopting the birds. “Wait… it’s a text,” Cooper said as he looked at his cell phone. “’Dad, can we adopt Sir Walter and Caroline?’ That’s from one of my daughters,” he said. His response: “No, that will not fly.”

Even though Cooper tested out some of his best jokes, he took the time to remind everyone of how hard Hurricane Florence hit farmers in the state. The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services estimates the storm caused $1.1 billion in agriculture losses.

“I’m thankful for North Carolina agriculture,” Cooper said. “Many of our farmers are having a tough time right now … We’ve got to remember them as we approach this legislative session and remember them in Washington, because they are an important economic driver.”

Cooper said he was grateful for the first responders who protected the state during the hurricane and every day; for the volunteers who “stepped up during the hurricane” and the veterans in the state; and for the teachers and public employees that have “worked so hard every day for us.”

The turkey pardon was a prelude to an event Tuesday in Wilson, where Cooper will help hand out 400 turkeys to Hurricane Florence survivors.

While Cooper is the first governor to pardon turkeys in honor of Thanksgiving, he’s not the only governor to have used his executive power to pardon animals. In 1970, Gov. Bob Scott granted a possum executive clemency at the State Capitol.

The possum — Slow Poke — had won the prettiest possum contest during the Hollerin’ Contest in Spivey’s Corner. Scott had originally planned on serving Slow Poke for dinner at the mansion. But after receiving public push-back, Scott pardoned the possum and it was released into Raven Rock State Park.

This story was originally published November 19, 2018 at 7:20 PM.