Meet Franklin the wild turkey that’s gobbling up attention in a Kitchener, Ont., neighbourhood | 24CA News
A wild turkey that has taken up residence in a Kitchener, Ont., neighbourhood is gaining reputation on social media.
The turkey has now been lovingly nicknamed Frank, Frankie or Franklin and is infamous for crossing the street with out a care on the earth within the Franklin and Weber space of Kitchener.
Quinn Dosch lives alongside Franklin Street. She mentioned she’s obtained some theories in regards to the turkey’s site visitors obsession.
“I do work at Freshco, just down the street, so we actually go around talking and making so many jokes about the turkey,” she mentioned.
“We’ve actually noticed that it goes after light cars or white cars more than dark cars … Like if there’s like a white car pulled over to the side of the road, it’ll go after that one instead of the traffic. But if it’s a dark car that’s pulled over the side of the road, it’ll just go after the traffic.”
Nearby resident Sharmila Shanmugasundaram mentioned she was impressed to make a Facebook fan web page for the turkey when she began seeing all of the posts about Franklin blocking site visitors on social media.
“It became like an everyday thing. People — and I mean a lot of people — started spotting him around Franklin Street,” she mentioned.
“Now he’s just one among us. He just lives in the neighborhood and he just shows up here and there … He’s not anymore just a random turkey.”
Sandeep Pandey mentioned neighbours and motorists have been taking care to not hit the turkey.
On one event, Pandey needed to stroll Franklin the turkey throughout the road, out of hurt’s approach.
“Last time I just saved her in the middle of road. Then she went to another backyard,” he mentioned.
“If she goes on the road, it is dangerous for the cars, people as well. They might try to save her and then some accident happens.”
David Ingard mentioned he has lived within the neighbourhood for years and he is seen many turkeys within the space — however by no means one which’s had a web-based presence.
“He seems a little lonely,” Ingard mentioned.
“I see him once in a while. It’s kind of neat to have something like that … He’s gonna have more likes than I do [on Facebook]. I’m jealous!”
No plans to relocate Franklin
The Humane Society of Kitchener Waterloo & Stratford Perth mentioned in an emailed assertion that it’s conscious of the wild turkey and that workers have responded to a couple calls about him.
The society says the turkey is male and seems to be wholesome — and there is not a lot they’ll do about his presence within the space as a result of he’s a wild fowl.
Bill Dowd, president of Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control, mentioned turkey sightings are extra frequent in city areas than most individuals would notice.
“Whether it’s Kitchener, Guelph or Cambridge or Hamilton … our franchises across the country are seeing calls for more and more turkeys in city environments,” he mentioned.
“There may be some concern if it’s coming up to cars from a public safety standpoint, but they are more prevalent in our urban centres for sure.”
He mentioned for those who see a wild turkey like Franklin in your property, there are methods to humanely ask them to depart.
“Any animal, whether it be a turkey or Canada goose or a raccoon or a skunk, these are wild animals and people need to be cautious and be careful,” he mentioned.
“[It will move along if you] make some noise. If you have a hose, spray the turkey, just to get it to move along and harass it a bit so it kind of goes on its merry way.”
Dowd mentioned Franklin the turkey’s well-wishers needn’t fear about him getting too chilly this winter.
“Like all animals now in the Canadian winter, they’ve adapted and they know how to survive. They’ll eat a wide range of of fruits and seeds and insects,” he mentioned.
“These animals are just flourishing in all urban centres.”
