Sometimes you’ll see something on Twitter that just cries out for an explanation, and this now-viral video of turkeys circling the corpse of a cat is certainly one of them.
https://twitter.com/haunterhaha/status/1174468074843492352
The video, posted by user @haunterhaha, received over 67,000 likes and lots of reactions.
https://twitter.com/Peepster3/status/1174713698751004676
https://twitter.com/BryanNeff/status/1174666376868503553
https://twitter.com/Ireland2Canada/status/1175032976054345728
Speculation included the turkeys being a coven of witches.
That’s some kind of witchcraft shit, right there….creepy.
— Stede 🏴☠️ (@GentlemanPirat2) September 19, 2019
These turkeys are witches y'all.
— Derrick (@Derrick99370851) September 20, 2019
https://twitter.com/rnortal/status/1174540413211828224
sure. everything. is. fine. pic.twitter.com/RrATL1wV5I
— yeah, whatever (@WestcoasterGenX) September 19, 2019
After one hour of this, the cat will come back to life…but it won't be the same.https://t.co/bsyRPgLdSu
— Newsericks (@Newsericks) September 19, 2019
Leave those witches alone
— Nicole Nichelle (@alamanecer) September 19, 2019
Or a demon summoning.
https://twitter.com/jsFALLEN/status/1175024256385785861
mom can you come pick me up the turkeys are doing demon rituals
— jac (@riptidesrevolt) September 19, 2019
satanic turkeys are a thing…
— NÆ 🆑𝕏 (@tasteslikesalt) September 20, 2019
https://twitter.com/DilzTheLegend/status/1174784484954296322
https://twitter.com/Rebel_Scum483/status/1174783719741231105
Or some other sort of cultic behavior.
https://twitter.com/RogersMima/status/1174767831696596992
Did no one tell them that this kind transmutation is a taboo in the alchemist world… smh my head.
— Paladin (@PaladinAmber) September 20, 2019
https://twitter.com/KibethOW/status/1174910475915542528
Iä! Iä! Cthulhu fhtagn!
— Aalbert Torsius (@aalbert_torsius) September 19, 2019
A surprising number of people saw references to the Handmaid’s Tale in this video, too.
https://twitter.com/so_irreverent/status/1174667363909660674
Shame shame shame
Whose fault is it that Fluffy is dead?
Her fault. Her fault. Her fault.
It feels like a scene from the Handmaids Tale
— PopsBond 〓〓 (@jgb3270) September 19, 2019
Blessed be the fruit
— Mr. Alter (@MrAlter2) September 19, 2019
It turns out that there’s a much more mundane explanation for the ominous circle. When the video first surfaced in 2017, National Geographic ran an article explaining it, and it turns out that the turkeys are just confused as hell and trying to make sure the potential predator is actually dead.
“My guess is they are puzzled by the strange behavior of the dead or dying cat,” says Hughes, “[and wanted] to get a better look, without getting too close.” The result, he says, is a circle of turkeys—mostly females—all eyeing the potential predator’s carcass, but none of them wanting to get any closer.
Not all Twitter users are buying it, however, and remain convinced that there’s something sinister in the turkeys’ behavior.
it's a trick, call a witch hunter
— Aksul Krumpskragga: Da Junk Boss🍄🔧 (@JunkBossVtuber) September 19, 2019
Is this one of the Seals of the Apocalypse?
— Aaron Torres (@Aaa_aa_ron) September 19, 2019
Black Mass!
— John (@Gurdil999) September 19, 2019
READ MORE: