Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has issued her traditional Thanksgiving "pardon" for one turkey - while other birds were slaughtered in the background.

The former Republican vice-presidential candidate was doing her governor's "duty" to save one lucky bird at a farm in Wasilla.

But in the video footage of Mrs Palin, a man can be seen butchering birds in the background.

Mrs Palin did not comment on the slaughter taking place.

'Levity'

"This was neat," she told reporters, referring to her "pardon" of a turkey.

"I was happy to get to be invited to participate in this. For one, you need a little bit of levity in this job. It's nice to get out and... participate in something that isn't so heavy-handed politics that it invites criticism."

It is a Thanksgiving custom in America for the president and other officials to officially pardon a turkey.

The majority of the birds are not so lucky, however - the turkey is the traditional centrepiece of Americans' Thanksgiving dinner.

Mrs Palin was little known outside Alaska when Republican presidential candidate John McCain picked her as his running-mate this year.

Since losing the election in November, she has made a number of prominent media appearances, and observers suggest she is considering a run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012.