Cal Poly has two new residents in the form of a mother turkey and her baby, who have made the Cotchett Education Building their new home. The turkeys, who were first spotted Monday morning, have been rotating their way through different locations around the building.
Warren Watkins, Information Technology Services director of the School of Education has seen the turkeys throughout the week while working in the building.
“When I first saw it, it was just sitting up there (on the railing), and I was like, ‘Oh, there’s a turkey,’” he said.
Due to the unconventional nesting location, some have raised questions about what will happen to the turkeys.
Education professor Roberta Hetrter, who saw both turkeys for the first time Tuesday night, said that no one from the building has given official word on what will be done with the turkeys.
“I’m not sure what will happen,” Hetrter said. “I don’t know the university policy on nesting turkeys.”
She said despite their constant presence near the building, the turkeys have not been a major talking point among staff.
Several students studying near the area Wednesday afternoon had no idea the turkeys were just yards away from them. But they were quickly made aware.
At about 3:50 p.m., the turkeys suddenly began flying near a walkway between the Cotchett Education Building and the Orfalea College of Business where students were walking between classes. Students stared, and quickly pulled out their camera phones to capture the incident. Civil engineering freshman Jared Stine was one such student.
“I was sitting over there and some guy started smiling and pointing and I came over (to look),” he said.
The turkeys have started to draw rumors as well, said Stine. He had been told that the turkeys had a nest near the library, but was sitting near the Cotchett Education Building when he first noticed the turkey commotion.
Counseling and guidance graduate student Chris Ainsworth said he didn’t notice the turkeys until one landed right in front of him while he was studying.
“It caught me off guard, but I wasn’t fearful,” he said. “It looked pretty peaceful. It didn’t look like it was going to do anything.”
For Stine, the turkeys are a perk of being a Cal Poly student.
“I kind of like that about Cal Poly,” Stine said. “Just that wildlife will randomly come over to you.”