Walmart greeter says he was fired after wild turkey wandered into store

An 88-year-old Wisconsin man never thought an incident involving a wild turkey would get him fired from his job as a Walmart greeter.

Bob Tallinger told WISN that a wild turkey wandered into the store March 27 while he was on duty as a greeter. Employees and customers were able to shoo the wayward bird to the outdoor garden section of the store, where a Humane Animal Welfare Society worker was able to capture it with a net. The bird was not injured and was released back into the wild. No customers were harmed during the incident.

Tallinger was shocked to learn a few days later that he had been terminated. He said he was told that he was fired for not alerting a manager that the animal had wandered into the store.

Tallinger told WISN that he loved being a greeter because of all of the people he met on the job. Tallinger had been a greeter at the store for approximately eight years and was a popular fixture with customers, according to WISN.

When reached for comment, Walmart released the following statement to WISN: "We appreciate the public's concern and take this situation seriously. While we will not comment on HR matters, we can confirm Mr. Tallinger is no longer with the company."

About the Author