If you live in Davis, California and frequent the Wells Fargo, beware of the turkey known as Downtown Tom, who hangs out in the bank’s parking lot. The gobbling bird has, as KCRA reports, been chasing after, aggressively circling, and lunging at people who would just like to go about their business without a big turkey getting in their way.
Some concerned residents have called 911 about the red wattled beast. “Yes, this is almost embarrassing,” one caller told the dispatcher. “I am trying to get into my office on G Street in Davis and I have this huge turkey surrounding my car, circling me and I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to run it over but I can’t stay in my car all morning, is there any advice you can give me?”
"This is almost embarrassing."
Wild Turkeys in Davis are so aggressive some residents are calling 911 for help. Audio below. pic.twitter.com/N1zpc8Nr7J— Tom Miller (@TomMillerNews) November 3, 2016
“Hi, um, [gobble noises heard in background] I got a turkey here that just won’t let me leave,” another concerned resident said. “It just put me in a corner and I can’t exactly go anywhere.”
A third caller said, “I can’t leave, I can’t go anywhere [gobble sounds heard]… It’s just standing here, and I’ve got to get somewhere.”
And a fourth caller reported that the turkey came close to physically attacking someone: “Um yeah, so, there’s a turkey between 4th and on 5th and F that’s running around chasing after people. And this was like…it was attacking, pretty much attacking a guy.”
So what should Davis residents do about the menace Downtown Tom? “Be the dominant species, essentially,” City Wildlife Resource Specialist John McNerney told KCRA. “Don’t let it intimidate you, which can be difficult for some folks.”
If anyone in the area speaks bird, they should warn Downtown Tom and his fellow winged friends that an ordinance passed last week allows the city to euthanize aggressive turkeys, which is bad news for their with Thanksgiving just around the corner.
[KCRA]
