An 83-year-old woman from Alameda was left with serious injuries after being attacked by a gang of wild turkeys during her evening walk last Thursday.
Mary Jo Kelly, a longtime resident of the Bay Area city, recounted how two turkeys ambushed her from behind, causing her to fall and sustain multiple injuries.
“I went headfirst, and I broke my glasses. I hit the palm of my hand, my thumb. I bled in the nose,” Kelly told ABC 7. After the attack, Kelly managed to call her husband, who took her to the emergency room. Doctors performed a CT scan and treated her injuries, which included six stitches on her right hand.
The incident has left Kelly shaken and frustrated with the lack of action from city officials. She contacted the Alameda Police Department to file a report, but officers informed her they could not take one because the incident involved wildlife. “If a dog bites you, of course, they’re going to pick him up. But that’s domestic. So they’re ignoring the problem basically,” Kelly said.
Emily Crum, an animal control officer with the Alameda Police Department, explained that the city cannot currently remove the wild turkeys, as they are in their spring mating season, a time when they can become more aggressive. The department advises residents to avoid approaching the birds and to keep a safe distance.
Despite the terrifying encounter, Kelly is determined not to let the turkeys keep her indoors forever. However, for now, she is staying closer to home and avoiding any turkeys she sees. “It was just pretty scary. Kind of shell shocked. A little afraid to go too far,” she said.
This is not the first time wild turkeys have caused chaos in the area. In 2020, a notorious turkey named Gerald terrorized Oakland residents for months before being captured by a wildlife expert.
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