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Kids, residents on alert as upscale Massachusetts town deals with 'aggressive' wild turkeys

Massachusetts residents are struggling with a wild turkey population, even with attacks — causing parents to be more cautious about letting their children outdoors.

Wild turkeys are known for being aggressive toward humans if provoked, wildlife experts say.

The town of Cambridge, Massachusetts, is experiencing a wild turkey issue throughout the community. 

Wild turkeys have been gathering outside residents’ homes — and becoming aggressive when people try to exit their front doors or shuttle kids to school.

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A mail carrier was recently attacked in that upscale New England neighborhood, sparking conversation among neighbors and those within the community, as the U.K.'s Daily Mail reported. 

Some have seen the turkeys squatting in their front lawn, sitting in the middle of residential roads and even rummaging through the trash. 

The turkeys have been trotting through the neighborhoods when kids leave for school in the morning, according to reports — causing parents to keep an extra eye out.

"A turkey crossed the road," Cambridge resident Emily Hill told station Boston 25 of a recent experience that she and her daughter had as her daughter was riding her scooter. 

"We got her off her scooter and tried to wave it to scare it away," Hill added. "It got even more aggressive and started running after us."

Cambridge, the home of Harvard University, is a major suburb in the Greater Boston metropolitan area.

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The town is known for being a nice residential area and has a median home sale price of $898,000 as of February 2023, according to Redfin. 

One Massachusetts woman who lives about 15 miles north of Cambridge told Fox News Digital that wild turkeys are "absolutely everywhere in this state."

The mother of four added, "It amazed me that turkeys fly! I will never forget seeing a whole group of them lift up and fly into a tree. The turkeys we have in our town are long-time residents, and have never been aggressive — just really cute, I think."

She added, "You have to be sensible around any wild creature. Keep your distance, do not give them reason to fear you — and enjoy the chance to watch a unique sight right there in your yard."

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Cambridge is not the only Massachusetts town that has had an issue with wild turkeys.

In Feb. 2021, an employee of the small town of Wenham, Massachusetts, reported experiencing aggressive turkeys.

Animal Control Officer Steve Kavanaugh recommended keeping a distance away from the turkeys. 

"Residents should first and foremost do all they can to avoid close interactions with wild turkeys and keep these safety tips in mind should a turkey approach them or their property," he said in a media statement.

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The Wenham Police Department recommended not feeding the birds, keeping bird seeds off the ground and using a loud noise to scare them away.

About 25,000 wild turkeys reside in Massachusetts currently, the Daily Mail reported.

Turkeys are attracted to shiny objects, reportedly — and sometimes become aggressive when they see their reflections.

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