Residents of Key West, Florida, aren’t just taking steps to protect themselves from Hurricane Irma — they’re watching out for the town’s ‘gypsy chickens’ as well, a photo shows.
That effort is documented in a now-viral Facebook photo, which appears to show about ten chickens wrapped up in newspapers.
“CHICKEN EVACUATION,” the post from Key West Finest reads. “Gotta love the people in Key West! Thank you to Local Selfie Celeb Jayesh Mani for doing what the rest of us only wished for! #onlyinkeywest”
The ‘gypsy chickens’ of Key West are known to roam about the streets freely, according to Insider.
Considered an invasive species, the chickens are a combination of those that have escaped from backyards and the descendants of others released after cockfighting became illegal in the 1970s.
The post, which has been shared over 30,000 times as of 11 a.m Friday, sparked thousands of comments.
“Ummmm, I don't think those chicken burritos are cooked enough..... Just sayin'.... LOL!,” wrote Samantha GR. “JK, I love the Key West Chickens! Glad they'll be safe!”
Some commenters voiced concerns about the way the chickens were wrapped, wondering if there was a more humane way to transport them to safety.
“I hope they aren't too upset about being wrapped up,” wrote Tracy Zepeda Radogna, “and I'm so glad they weren't left to fend for themselves during the hurricane.”
“Could have transported them in a more humane way,” added Adam Douglas. “Looks like hell to me. If they [were] humans you would be pissed.”
But don’t worry — Lacey Bacon-Stonebraker, who wrote she owns 50 chickens and three roosters, said this is the proper way to transport the chickens.
“The way the chickens are wrapped up with their wings tucked down, is how you carry a chicken you flatten their wings to their sides and carry them like a football uner [sic[ your arm, so really over all the chickens should be moderately comfortable and should not get hot,” she wrote. “I'm sure living in Key West the driver has air-conditioning plus the chickens are already used to extremely hot conditions.”