A group of wild turkeys has turned the tables on humans in the small town of Woburn in Massachusetts. Instead of becoming a Thanksgiving meal, these turkeys are looking to take control of Woburn’s streets.
According to Twitter user and Woburn resident Meaghan Tolson, @Meaghanneliza, the group is led by a male turkey named Kevin.
He and four female turkeys are regularly harassing the locals, chasing them around and even not allowing them to exit their houses.
The group is particularly fond of Elizabeth’s front lawn, where they spend the majority of their time.
The Guardian decided to do some digging into this unusual situation and found out that the birds arrived in the area two years ago. They were friendly at first but have recently become quite aggressive to the point that the locals fear for their safety.
Still, Tolson says that residents of Woburn wish no harm to the turkeys. Despite occasional trouble and inconvenience, they learned to deal with the group and have ways to avoid conflicts.
“I’ve kind of adjusted over time to it,” Tolson tells The Guardian. “I know their routine now, so I can kind of work around [them].”
Massachusetts has seen a significant increase in the wild turkey population in recent years. The birds were once extinct in the state before being introduced in the ‘70s. It is estimated that the population has grown to more than 30,000 wild turkeys since.
