Wild turkey routinely pops up in Kitchener neighbourhood, stopping traffic

A wild turkey that’s been spotted trotting around in Kitchener’s Stanley Park neighbourhood has been capturing people’s attention for months. Not only does it appear to have a routine – but also a bit of a fan club.

Some residents have named the turkey that they said can be seen daily in the area of Franklin Street and Shuh Avenue – usually at around 7 am, mid-afternoon and then again at night.

Drivers could be seen stopping to take photos of the turkey on Franklin Street in Kitchener on June 14, 2023. (CTV News/Karis Mapp)“I’ve heard it called Frankie. I think that’s a good name, considering it lives on Franklin Street,” said Paul Boterman, who lives nearby.

Residents said Frankie often stops traffic and isn’t afraid to get up close and personal.

“He really likes rush hour. He likes getting up in front of traffic and proving his authority,” said another resident Adam Smith, who said he’s been seeing him since about April. “If you come to a stop, he’s just going to hound you.”

The bold bird is not afraid to get close to your vehicle if you stop.The wild turkey appears to be bold, getting up close and person with drivers. (CTV News/Karis Mapp)

“It will start pecking people’s tires and their cars,” said Boterman.

On Wednesday morning, people could be seen stopping to take pictures of the turkey while in their vehicle, or getting out of their vehicle, trying to shoo him away.

“It’s almost like a checkpoint. Like in order to go down the street you have got to pass by him. It’s like you have to pay some kind of turkey toll essentially,” said Shauna Lynn Simon, a resident who said she sees the turkey every morning.

The turkey does not appear to be shy when near humans. (CTV News/Karis Mapp)

WILDLIFE EXPERT WEIGHS IN

The president and CEO of Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control, Bill Dowd, said they get a lot of calls about wild turkeys across Ontario, especially recently.

“They like wooded areas in the fields it’s their natural habitat,” said Dowd.

He said it is common for turkeys to go through people’s gardens looking for food as they eat insects, seeds and nuts. But don’t try to feed them anything extra.

“You do not want to be feeding wild animals. There’s enough food sources in our cities for them to survive,” Dowd said.

He said the best plan of action is to leave them alone unless they’re ruining your property.

“There’s really not a lot you can do other than if they are around your backyard just to modify that habitat. Don’t give them hiding spots where they can hide,” Dowd said.

Another piece of advice, don’t try to pretend to feed them like one Stanley Park resident said he tried to do a few years ago when he saw multiple turkeys on his property.

“I had three or four of them in the driveway. And I held my hand out to pretend I was going to feed them. And when I didn’t have any food, the turkey smacked me he turned his arm,” Brian Doerener told CTV News.

Dowd said wild turkeys are not usually aggressive – unless you’re a perceived threat to their young.

The turkey is spotted daily in the Stanley Park neighbourhood. (CTV News/Karis Mapp)

MORE ABOUT FRANKIE

The Skedaddle Wildlife team examined some footage of Frankie and they believe Frankie is male and is about three years old.

Residents told CTV they hope drivers are cautious when driving down Franklin Street as you know never when Frankie will be trotting through.

“I consider myself a turkey ally, so I’m definitely a little concerned about his safety,” said Shauna.