‘They go to attack you.’ Aggressive gaggle of wild turkeys terrorize 55-and-up community

Wild turkeys are running amok at an over-55 community in Ocean County.

News 12 Staff

Nov 8, 2019, 3:16 AM

Updated 1,797 days ago

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Wild turkeys are running amok at an over-55 community in Ocean County.

Residents say turkeys in a large flock are blocking their doorways, pecking at cars and behaving aggressively.

"I can't get out of my door," says one resident. "Sometimes I can't get out of my car. They go to attack you."

Just in time for Thanksgiving, an aggressive gaggle of 40 to 60 wild turkeys is terrorizing the community in the Holiday City section of town.

Residents say that shooing the birds away doesn't help, and that they actually bite. Some say that the turkeys have even broken windows in people's houses.

Meanwhile, Toms River says its animal control officers are powerless to stop the turkeys because they are not licensed to trap wildlife.

A spokesman for the Department of Environmental Protection said that Fish and Game is aware of the situation but did not have further information or comment.

Resident Cindy Lijoi compares the birds to scary dogs.

Wildlife officials say male "tom" turkeys can weigh between 16 and 24 pounds and can run up to 20 miles per hour.