The search was on today for a gang of turkeys which is believed to have escaped from a poultry farm ahead of their looming appearance on Christmas dinner tables.
Walkers were stunned to stumble across the 50-strong group of birds appearing to be roaming free in woodland on Saturday morning.
The turkeys were seen near the village of Red Lodge, Suffolk, which is just two miles from a farm run by Traditional Norfolk Poultry (TNP) which breeds the birds.
A woman who spotted the turkeys said: "I was just surprised to see that many.
"I think they escaped from a nearby farm, but I think turkeys tend to go back, so they might have done."
Another walker, who asked to be named, saw the gang of birds as it wandered through woodland clearings and posted the footage on Facebook.
Members of the public were so concerned about the birds welfare that one person even offered up their land for the turkeys to stay on.
However this morning the whereabouts and identity of the birds' owners remained a mystery.
Traditional Norfolk Poultry were approached for comment, but were unable to confirm whether the turkeys that had escaped were theirs.
It's not clear whether or not the turkeys have been returned to their home.
Traditional Norfolk Poultry boast of breeding free-range and organic Norfolk Black and Norfolk Bronze turkeys which are renowned for their succulent meat and gamey flavour.
A spokeswoman for the firm said: "We've had no reports of any turkeys escaping.'
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