Residents in Foxboro, Massachusetts, say a group of wild turkeys is terrorizing the town, and they are concerned after several people reported being chased and attacked.
Residents in Foxboro, Massachusetts, say a group of wild turkeys is terrorizing the town, and they are concerned after several people reported being chased and attacked.
The bold birds are often found in the wooded areas of Foxboro, but lately, they have been spotted in more populated areas, including Mechanic Street.
Debra Sabourin said she was out for an afternoon walk last week when a trio of turkeys started following her.
"One of them actually flapped his wings, jumped off the ground and dropkicked me with both of his feet," Sabourin said.
Sabourin said she was screaming as the turkeys were pecking at her legs. Eventually, a neighbor noticed and helped her fend them off by throwing boots at the birds from her porch.
"I just chucked the first set and it didn't quite work they were still going," Meg Nelson said. "So I tried the other boot and they backed off a little bit."
However, the birds have not backed off completely. NECN was there as Foxboro Animal Control received another complaint about the turkeys. Thursday morning they showed up at an elderly complex.
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Animal Control Officer Sue Thibedeau, who has received more than three dozen calls about the birds, says there is a right way to approach the turkeys so they scatter.
"They can be intimidating but when people retreat or run for the it makes them bolder," Thibedeau said.
Thibedeau suspects someone is feeding the turkeys, which makes them less afraid of humans. She is asking anyone who might be feeding them to stop and to report aggressive interactions with the birds to police.
It is against Massachusetts law to transfer wildlife. The town could ultimately decide to kill the birds who are causing the problems, but officials say there is not enough of a danger to the community to do that yet.
