2025 National Thanksgiving Turkeys, NC natives retire after pardoned at the White House
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- North Carolina is hosting two special guests this Thanksgiving: Gobble, the 2025 National Thanksgiving Turkey, and his alternate, Waddle.
After receiving a Presidential pardon, the two birds will retire at NC State University, marking the second time the university has provided a home for the National Thanksgiving Turkeys, following Chocolate and Chip in 2022.
Gobble and Waddle, both North Carolina natives, were raised on a farm in Wayne County.
"It's amazing for the state of North Carolina," said Garey Fox, the university's dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. "We are a major poultry producer within the nation. And it's just awesome to have these turkeys at NC State and to be entrusted with these wonderful birds."
The two birds will also serve as educational ambassadors in their retirement, creating opportunities for students, the turkey industry, and the public.
"They really do create a lot of opportunities with the students as well as with the Turkey industry and the public at large. That's kind of a focus point. Everybody likes to talk about turkeys and Thanksgiving, and it just gives us an opportunity to branch out from there on a lot of subject matter," said Jesse Grimes, an Extension Turkey Specialist with the university.
North Carolina leads the nation in turkey production by weight and ranks second in turkey headcount. The poultry industry contributes approximately $40 billion annually to the state's economy.
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"To train kids and to train young people on the idea that this is where our food comes from, it doesn't come from the grocery stores. And this is how we can produce these turkeys in a very healthy and safe way. And to treat the animals with the utmost care, it's extremely important," Fox said.
