Where do turkeys pardoned by the president live after Thanksgiving?
The turkeys are sent to various locations after pardoned
The turkeys are sent to various locations after pardoned
Turkey pardoning has blossomed into an annual tradition for the President of the United States but where do the pardoned turkeys go after the event?
It seems that after the sitting president bestows the honor of becoming a pardoned turkey, the TOTUS or 鈥淭urkey of the United States鈥� is sent to live out its life at various locations, according to CNN Politics.
Turkeys in the past have been sent to zoos and even George Washington鈥檚 home, Mount Vernon.
In 2015, Obama鈥檚 pardoned turkey was reportedly sent to a farm in Virginia, according to CNN.
The downside of being a pardoned turkey, continued CNN, is that modern turkeys are bred specifically to be eaten and not survive. Most of the turkeys pardoned by Obama have died within the year of being saved.
Turkey pardoning by the president hasn鈥檛 always been an official tradition, wrote CNN.
It started in 1963 with President John F. Kennedy but wasn't continued until 1989 when President George H.W. Bush picked it up once again.