City leaders in Cambridge, Massachusetts, are seeking guidance after some residents have complained about nuisance neighbors terrorizing their streets.
Several turkeys have been spotted in the Avon Hill section of Cambridge. While some enjoy the company of the bold birds, many neighbors say they have become more aggressive over time.
"There's no stopping them. They are sure they own the neighborhood," Jacquie Olds said.
Olds's front window was smashed by a turkey over the summer and she says that is just the beginning of the turkey trouble. A few of her neighbors have put up wire around their gardens to try and protect the plants they say the birds keep ruining.
Turkeys have bullied communities in Brookline and Foxboro in the past. Several of them were spotted circling a dead cat in March.
It has become such an issue in Cambridge that the city council is now asking the Cambridge Animal Commission for advice on how to deal with the influx of animals that many blame on development.
"Nobody wants to hurt wildlife, but how we plan to live with them is another issue," city councilor Dennis Carlone said.
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Cambridge city councilor Craig Kelley says it is not just turkeys they are concerned about, but other wildlife, too, and many of the populations are protected.
"They're bringing concerns about squirrels, raccoons and all these other forms of wildlife," Kelley said.
As the city council waits for analysis and guidance, the Cambridge Animal Commission did put out guidelines for residents who spot the birds on their property. They recommend scaring the birds off with loud noises and do not recommend feeding them.
