Wild turkeys wander through Canadian town

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BARRHAVEN, Ontario, Dec. 21 (UPI) -- Animal authorities in Ontario said there isn't much that can be done about the influx of wild turkeys into a suburban community.

The province's Wild Bird Care Center said it has been receiving at least one call per day about wild turkeys wandering through Barrhaven streets and many area residents reported seeing dozens of the birds in recent days, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported Friday.

Patty Summers, a worker at the center, said the birds have likely headed toward populated areas due to the loss of their habitat.

The birds were reintroduced to Ontario for hunting in the 1980s, but provincial officials said there are an estimated 70,000 of the birds now living in Ontario with only 8,000 hunted this year.

The Ministry of Natural Resources is recommending residents refrain from feeding the birds and place netting over any plants the turkeys could find appetizing.