Turkey Town
Special | 29m 20sVideo has Closed Captions
The Massachusetts wild turkey population has exploded and is encroaching on urban areas.
The Massachusetts wild turkey population has exploded to the point where they are encroaching on urban areas, resulting in delight and amusement for some, exasperation and fear from others. This film examines the role these wild animals play in our modern lives, and asks the question: can we coexist peacefully amid the social and environmental consequences?
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Turkey Town
Special | 29m 20sVideo has Closed Captions
The Massachusetts wild turkey population has exploded to the point where they are encroaching on urban areas, resulting in delight and amusement for some, exasperation and fear from others. This film examines the role these wild animals play in our modern lives, and asks the question: can we coexist peacefully amid the social and environmental consequences?
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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>> NEW TONIGHT DAVID'S FAVORITE THE TURKEY TAKEOVER.
EVEN AT THANKSGIVING WHEN YOU THINK THEY WOULD BE SCARCE IT SEEMS WILD TURKEYS ARE EVERYWHERE.
GET OUT OF THE WAY, TURKEY!
OH, MY GOD, THAT TURKEY IS CRAZY.
>> TURKEY POPULATIONS HAVE EXPLODED.
THAT'S PROBABLY A SCIENTIFIC DESCRIPTION.
>> CAREFUL OF THE TRAFFIC!
>> I DON'T THINK ANYBODY HAD ANY IDEA THE EXTENT TO WHICH THEY WOULD ABT WAIT HOME TOSELVES TO THE SUBURBS AND EVEN URBAN AREAS.
>> WHAT WE DIDN'T EXPECT WAS THAT THEY WOULD BE ESSENTIALLY EVERYWHERE.
>> TURKEYS ARE MAJESTIC.
>> TURKEYS ARE IMPRESSIVE.
>> BOY.
>> RIDICULOUS.
>> STUPID.
>> TUR CEETION ARE DELICIOUS.
EXTRAORDINARILY DELICIOUS.
>> THEY ARE ONRY, UGLY, FANTASTIC.
>> THEY ARE FEATHERS.
>> I DON'T WANT ANYTHING TO HAPPEN TO THE BIRD NO MATTER HOW MUCH THEY FRIGHTEN ME, BECAUSE THEY WERE HERE FIRST.
>> I WENT TO COLLEGE WITH THE PLANS OF BECOMING A SCIENTIFIC ILLUSTRATOR OR BIOLOGICAL ILLUSTRATOR.
IT'S ANIMALS THAT WILL ALWAYS INTEREST ME.
I'M NOT INTERESTED IN DRAWING PEOPLE.
THAT WAS THE LAST THING I WANTED TO DRAW.
THE FINER THE BETTER, I GUESS.
I'M A BIT OF A GOOFY, DOPEY PERSON, REALLY.
TURKEYS ARE PRETTY DOPEY AS WELL, SO MAYBE I BOND WITH THEM AT THAT LEVEL.
I REGARD THIS AS REALITY, A SOURCE OF AMUSEMENT, AND WONDER.
THEY CAN REACH CLOSE TO FOUR FEET IN HEIGHT.
THE NAMES ARE VERY UNUSUAL, VERY BIZARRE.
THEY HAVE BUMPS ON THEIR NEXT WHICH ARE CALLED MAJOR AND MINOR, A FLESHY PRO TUBE REINCE HANGS FROM THEIR BEAK CALLED A SNOOD, THEN THE SKIN THAT FLANKS THEIR NECK.
THAT'S CALLED A CATHOLIC CHURCH ATTLE, OR DUE LAP.
THEY HAVE A COLLECTION OF HORSETAIL FEATHERS DANGLING FROM THEIR NEXT CALLED A BEARD.
THE MALES HAVE SPURS AND THEY CAN GO TO BE AN INCH AND A HALF LONG.
I FIND THEM BEAUTIFUL BECAUSE THEY ARE SO GEOMETRICALLY SHAPED.
SO IRIDESCENT.
THEY ARE SOMEWHAT REP TILLAN IN THEIR COLORING.
THEIR BEHAVIOR IS INSANE.
THEY ARE JUST SO CONFIDENT IN THEIR DOPEYNESS.
I'M JUST GOING TO PECK AT THIS GLASS OR THIS WINDOW AND NOT HAVE ANY GOOD COME OF IT BUT I'M GOING TO DO IT ANYWAY.
I'M HAPPY TO SAY A COUPLE OF TIMES AT LEAST I HAVE CONVINCED PEOPLE TO LIKE THEM.
TO SEE THAT THEY ARE KIND OF FUNNY, OR THEY ARE A BIT BEAUTIFUL.
WHEN I STARTED SEEING THEM PEOPLE WOULD STOP, THEY WOULD BE SURPRISED, THEY WOULD TAKE PICTURES.
THEY WOULD LAUGH.
THEY WOULD RUN AWAY.
THEY WOULD SCREAM IN HORROR.
BUT WHAT MAKES ME SO HAPPY NOW IS THAT OFTEN I WILL SEE PEOPLE WALKING PAST THE TURKEY AND THEY WILL LOOK AND JUST CONTINUE WALKING.
IT SHOWS THAT THE TURKEYS ARE LIVING THEIR LIVES, WE'RE LIVING OUR LIVES, WE'RE GETTING ALONG.
AS IT SHOULD BE.
>> WE GOT IN THE AMBULANCE AND IT STARTED TO GO THEN IT STOPPED.
THEY SAID THERE'S A TURKEY IN THE ROAD.
THE AMBULANCE DRIVER, THEY HONK THEIR HORNS, THEY HAVE THE SIRENS AND THE TURKEY DIDN'T CARE.
I LAY THERE IN PAIN WHILE THE AMBULANCE DRIVERS WAITED FOR THE TURKEY TO CROSS THE ROAD.
>> TOO FOOD MUST BE TAKEN FROM SHORE AND FROM FIELD, FROM LAKE AND FROM STREAM AND EAS THERE'S GAME TO BE HAD IN THE FORESTS TOO.
JON FOX HAS LEARNED WELL THE PATHS OF THE NEARBY FORESTS WHICH HARBOR MANY TURKEYS.
[GUNSHOT] >> DURING COLONIAL TIMES WILD TURKEYS WERE WIDESPREAD THROUGHOUT MASSACHUSETTS.
BUT BY THE EARLY 1900S THEY HAD GREATLY DIMINISHED.
>> 1851 WAS THE ESTABLISHED DATE THE LAST TURKEY WAS SHOT IN MASSACHUSETTS.
SO THERE WAS A LONG PERIOD OF TIME WHEN THERE WERE NO TURKEYS AT ALL.
THEY WERE EXTRICATED FROM MASSACHUSETTS.
INCREASINGLY, CONSERVATIONISTS AND WILDLIFE MANAGERS HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT THIS THROUGH THE LENS OF REPAIRING UNNECESSARY DAMAGE THAT WE ARE HAVE DONE IN THE PAST.
EVERY TIME YOU BRING BACK A LOST SPECIES YOU'RE KNITTING TOGETHER BROKEN ECOLOGICAL CONNECTIONS.
>> THERE'S KIND OF A SENSE OF ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, ALMOST A SENSE OF MORALITY IF WE AS A SPECIES HAVE BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR THE EXETER PASSION OF ANOTHER ANIMAL FROM WHERE IT USED TO LIVE WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO BRING IT BACK.
>> WE MADE A HUGE EFFORT AT GREAT EXPENSE TO GET BALD EAGLES AND CALIFORNIA CONDORS BACK ON THE LANDSCAPE.
THOSE WERE NATIVE SPECIES THAT AT OUR HANDS TANKED.
I THINK YOU CAN MAKE THE SAME CASE FORT WILD TURKEY.
>> BEGINNING IN THE EARLY 1900s ATTEMPTED ON THREE OR FOUR OCCASIONS TO RE120R TURKEYS TO THE COMMONWEALTH USING PEN RAISED TURKEYS.
THOSE FAILED.
TURNS OUT THAT MUCH OF WHAT A TURKEY HAS TO KNOW IT LEARNS FROM THE ADULT HEN.
LEARNED BEHAVIOR RATHER THAN INHERENT.
IN THE EARLY 1970s WE WORKED WITH NEW YORK STATE TO TRAP WILD BIRDS FROM WESTERN NEW YORK AND BRING THEM TO MASSACHUSETTS.
IN ORDER TO CAPTURE THE TURKEYS, THEY USED SOMETHING CALLED A CANNON NET.
YOU HAVE A LARGE NET THAT IS FOLDED UP ACCORDION STYLE AND THERE ARE THREE ROCKETS MADE OF HIGH PRESSURE GAS PIPE ATTACHED TO IT WITH AN EXPLOSIVE CHARGE INSIDE.
IN FRONT OF THE NET IS BIG SO THEY COME TO THE BAIT.
WHEN YOU SEE THEM ON THE BAIT YOU SET OFF THE EXPLOSIVE CHARGES THAN PROPELS THE NET OVER THE TURKEYS.
I DROVE OUT THERE, PICKED THEM UP AND BROUGHT THEM BACK DRIVING ALL NIGHT TO RELEASE THEM THE NEXT MORNING.
WE RELEASED 37 NEW YORK BIRDS IN BEAR TOWN STATE FOREST IN THE SOUTHERN BERKSHIRES.
MOST OF THE TIME THEY FLY A SHORT DISTANCE.
THEY GO INTO THE WOODS.
>> BOY, HOWDY, DID THAT WORK.
ONCE THEY STARTED THESE TRAP AND TRANSFER PROGRAMS WILD TURKEY POPULATIONS STARTED EXPANDING RAPIDLY.
TURKEYS ARE A SECOND SPECIES.
THEY LAY LOTS OF EGGS, THEY ARE REALLY GOOD PARENTS, GOOD AT BRINGING ALL THE CHICKS TO MATURITY SO IT DOES NOT TAKE LONG FOR A RELATIVELY SMALL POPULATION TO BECOME A RELATIVELY BIG POPULATION OF WILD TURKEYS.
>> BY ROUGHLY THE MID 1970s, WE KNEW THAT WE HAD A POPULATION IN THE SOUTHERN BERKSHIRES.
WHAT WE DIDN'T KNOW FOR A LONG TIME WAS HOW FAR EAST WE COULD GO.
WE BEGAN LIVE TRAPPING BIRDS FROM THE SOUTHERN BERKSHIRE POPULATION AND RELEASING THEM IN OTHER AREAS OF THE STATE.
EVENTUALLY ALL THE WAY TO THE NORTHEAST AND THE SOUTHEAST.
THE BIRDS THAT YOU SEE IN THESE URBAN AND SUBURBAN AREAS IN EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS ARE THE LINEAL DESCENDANTS OF THOSE WE BROUGHT IN FROM THE BERKSHIRES.
>> THE SUCCESS OF THIS EVERY WAS SO SIGNIFICANT THAT THE TURKEYS WERE CLEARLY THEY WEREN'T JUST STAYING IN THE WILD LIFE MANAGEMENT AREAS, THEY WERE SPREADING AND THE REST IS HISTORY.
[LAUGHTER] >> PARKING METER AND THERE WAS A TURKEY IN FRONT OF THE PARKING METER AND THE TURKEY WOULD NOT LET ME GET NEAR THE METER.
I TRIED SNEAKING AROUND BEHIND IT, GOING AROUND THE CAR FROM THE OTHER SIDE, WASN'T READY TO GET MY FEET PECKED OFF OR WHATEVER THE TURKEY MIGHT DO TO ME SO I GAVE UP.
THE TURKEY WON.
I GOT A TICKET!
>> WHY DO TURKEYS MOVE INTO THE SUBURBS AND URBAN AREAS?
I THINK THE ANSWER IS THEY CAN.
>> WE HAVE INADVERTENTLY CREATED THE PERFECT LANDSCAPE FOR WILD TURKEYS, HAB I TAD, FOOD RESOURCES AND PROTECTION IN MANY AREAS.
TO A WILD TURKEY GOD MUST BE A WILD TURKEY.
THE WORLD HAS BEEN CREATED AS AN OYSTER FOR WILD TURKEYS.
>> WHAT THE TURKEYS NEED TO SURVIVE.
THE BASICS ARE FOOD AND SHELTER.
WHAT DO YOU HAVE IN SOME OF THESE URBAN AREAS?
YOU'VE GOT PARKS, ROADWAYS, YOU'VE GOT YARDS.
AND THEY MAINTAIN THESE LARGE TREES THAT MAYBERRY NUTS SUCH AS ACORNS FROM OAKS, HICKORY NUTS FROM HICKORIES.
WHICH ARE FOOD FOR THE TURKEYS.
PEOPLE HAVE GARDENS.
BIRD FEEDERS.
SHRUBS WHICH MAY HAVE BERRIES.
>> TURKEYS WILL EAT ALMOST ANYTHING.
THEY ARE HIGHLY ONLY ANY OF ROUSE.
THEY WILL' SALAMANDERS AND SMALL LIZARDS, FROGS.
>> THE MAJORITY OF THEIR DIET, THOUGH, IS PLANT BASED.
THEY EAT A LOT OF SEEDS, NUTS, ACORNS.
TURKEYS ARE SO ADAPTABLE IN WHAT THEY EAT AND THE KINDS OF HABITATS THAT THEY CAN LIVE IN.
WE'RE FINDING THE TURKEYS CAN ADAPT TO URBAN ENVIRONMENTS MUCH MORE THAN WE EVER EXPECTED.
>> ONE BEHAVIOR OF TURKEYS THAT UNFORTUNATELY HAVE BROUGHT THEM TO THE MEDIA'S ATTENTION AND IN SOME CASES THE POLICE ATTENTION AND SO ON IS THE FACT THAT HISTORICALLY THEY WERE NOT SUBURBAN BIRDS.
THEY HAVE ADAPTED VERY WELL NEEDLESS TO SAY TO ALL SORTS OF THINGS.
EVEN CITIES IN SOME CASES.
SO UNDER THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES, THEY ARE ENCOUNTERING PEOPLE WHICH IS NOT SOMETHING THEY NORMALLY ENCOUNTER.
>> THEY HAVE A PECKING ORDER.
A DOMINANCE HIERARCHY.
EVERY TURKEY IN THAT GROUP KNOWS WHO IS SUBORDINATE TO WHO, WHO IS DOMINANT OVER EACH OTHER.
>> LOOK AT HIM, EATING HIS HEAD.
GOT HIS MOUTH AROUND HIS HEAD!
>> WHEN THE TOMS ARE ACTING AGGRESSIVE IN THE SPRINGTIME, WHEN THE HORMONES ARE FLOWING THEY GOT TESTOSTERONE GOING ON, I CAN UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE GET FREAKED OUT ABOUT IT.
>> IF THE HUMANS ARE FEARFUL AND RUN AWAY THAT JUST SHOWS THEM WHO IS DOMINANT.
THEY WILL HARASS THE PEOPLE TO FIND OUT WHERE THEY FIT AND HOW THEY SHOULD INTERACT WITH THEM.
>> THEY HAVE LOST THEIR INNATE FEAR OF PEOPLE AND THEY PERCEIVE THEM POTENTIALLY AS COMPETITORS.
YOU HAVE TO LEAD THE TURKEY TO BELIEVE YOU'RE IN CHARGE.
IF YOU START BACKING UP OR RUNNING THAT CAN FREAK THEM OUT AND THEY WILL BECOME MORE AGGRESSIVE.
>> MOVE IT!
>> LACK OF SENSE OF PROPORTION SOMETIMES.
>> GO AWAY!
>> REMEMBER, WE'RE BIGGER THAN THEY R. THEY DON'T ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT, THOUGH.
[LAUGHTER] >> MY GOD!
GET OUTTA HERE!
>> GENERALLY SPEAKING I THINK IT WOULD BE A SIGNIFICANT MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE TO SAY THAT ALL TURKEYS ARE BAD NEWS.
IT'S LIKE IF YOU SEE A BUNCH OF KIDS STANDING AROUND ON THE STREET CORNER THEY ARE LOOKING FOR TROUBLE -- NO, NOT NECESSARILY.
MAYBE JUST LOOKING TO CROSS THE STREET.
SO TURKEYS ARE THE SAME WAY.
WHEN THEY SEE A REFLECTION OF THEMSELVES, WHETHER IT BE IN GLASS OR COULD EVEN BE SOMETHING AS REFLECTIVE AS AN AUTOMOBILE BUMPER OR HUBCAP ON A CAR OR WHATEVER THEY WILL THEN AS PART OF THIS DOMINANCE THING THEY WILL BECOME VERY AGGRESSIVE.
THEY SEE THEMSELVES AND THEY PERCEIVE IT TO BE ANOTHER TURKEY AND THEY GO AFTER THEM.
>> THAT'S GOT TO HURT!
DOESN'T THAT HURT?
>> YOU SAY, WELL FTHEY ARE HAMMERING ON GLASS AND HUBCAPS AND THINGS HOW SMART CAN THEY BE?
THAT'S A BEHAVIOR THAT IS FROM A TURKEY'S POINT OF VIEW ESTABLISHING TRYING TO MAINTAIN ITS DOMINANCE, WHICH IS WHAT THEY DO.
THE FACT THIS THEY CONTINUE TO DO IT YOU MIGHT SAY HOW SWIFTS THAT?
>> WILD TURKEYS ARE REALLY SMART BIRDS.
CERTAINLY AMONG THE SAVVIEST OF WILD BIRDS.
>> I HAVE SEEN WILD TURKEYS STOP AND LOOK BOTH WAYS BEFORE THEY CROSS A BUSY SUBURBAN STREET.
FROM.
>> THERE'S A LOT GOING ON BEHIND THOSE BEADY LITTLE EYES.
THAT NAKED LITTLE HEAD.
[LAUGHTER] >> TURKEYS CAN FLY EXTREMELY WELL.
THEY ARE BUILT FOR SHORT BURSTS OF SPEED.
THEY HAVE FARRYL ROUNDED WINGS.
THEY ARE NOT DESIGNED FOR LONG DISTANCE TRAVEL ANY MORE.
THEY ROOST IN TREES AT NIGHT.
WHEN YOU HAVE OCCASION TO ACTUALLY SEE A TURKEY IN FULL FLIGHT IT'S VERY IMPRESSIVE.
>> PLEASE TELL ME ABOUT THIS.
>> A TURKEY WAS PACING RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE CAR.
EVERYBODY HONKING THEIR HORN, THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.
MY SON IS SITTING NEXT TO ME EATING A SANDWICH.
I SAY BREAK OFF A LITTLE PIECE.
IS TO IT TO THE SIDEWALK AND THE TURKEY RUNS TO THE SIDEWALK AND STARTS GOBBLING IT UP.
I REALIZE IT WAS A TURKEY SANDWICH!
>> I WORKED AT THE BROOKLINE COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH CENTERS AND LIVED A COUPLE OF MILES FROM THERE.
ON MY WALK TO WORK I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO PASS THROUGH WHAT I CALL THE TURKEY ATTACK ZONE WHERE THERE'S THIS INTERSECTION WHERE TWO HILLS COME DOWN TOGETHER AND ALL THE TURKEYS FROM THE WHOLE AREA FUNNEL DOWN INTO THIS ONE STREET.
THEY WOULD BE THERE LIKE MENACING ME.
>> HEY!
THERE WAS SOMETHING LIKE ROUGHLY A DOZEN TOTAL ATTACKS WHICH I WOULD DEFINE AS THEY MADE CONTACT WITH MY BODY IN ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
I HAD FLASHES OF MEMORY LIKE SPURS ON SHINS.
WINGS.
THEY GET REALLY HIGH UP.
I WAS IMPRESSED BY HOW MUCH LOST THEY COULD GET WHEN THEY COME FOR YOU.
I STARTED TO GET INTELLECTUALLY INTERESTED IN THE TURKEYS.
THE MORE I LEARNED WHAT WAS HAPPENING TO ME WAS A SIDE EFFECT OF ONE OF THE GREAT CONSERVATION STORIES OF THE 20th CENTURY.
THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT ULTIMATELY I DID WANT TO BE A PART OF.
NOT PRIMARILY BECAUSE I WAS TAKING REVENGE.
THE OTHER PIECE OF THIS IS THAT I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN REALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT FOOD.
FOR ME A LOT OF IT WAS INGREDIENT DRIVEN.
IF YOU DON'T HUNT AND FISH AND FORAGE AND GARDEN THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT YOU COULD NEVER BUY.
IF YOUR PRIORITY IS HAVING ACCESS TO LIKE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL FOOD THEN HUNTING IS AN INCREDIBLY ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY WAY TO ACCESS THAT.
THERE IS A PLACE THAT YOU'VE GOT FOR EATING WILD GAME THAT IS ENTIRELY ITS OWN THING.
IT'S REALLY GOOD.
REALLY GOOD.
WILD TURKEYS ARE CANNY, WARY, VERY PERCEPTIVE.
THEY HAVE VISUAL ACULT, GOOD HEARING >> THE FEELING THAT YOU GET WHEN YOU'RE CALLING AND A TOM TURKEY GOBBLES BACK AT YOU IS ELECTRIFYING.
IT'S -- YOU MADE NATURE THINK YOU WERE NATURE, AND THAT'S WILD.
KILLING ANYTHING MAKES ME SAD.
IT'S A HARD FEELING TO EXPLAIN.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK LEADS TO A LOT OF MISUNDERSTANDINGS.
I THINK WHAT YOU OFTEN SEE IF YOU'RE AN OUTSIDER TO THE WORLD OF HUNTING PEOPLE CALL GRIP AND GRIN, LIKE YOU ELATED WITH SOMETHING YOU KILLED AND IT LOOKS BARBARIC.
IT LAOS INHUMANE AND SEEMS TO COMPLETELY NEGATE THE IDEA THAT YOU'RE A PERSON WHO CARES ABOUT THESE ANIMALS AND ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT, BUT THINGS HAVE TO DIE FOR ME TO BE ALIVE.
BEING ABLE TO KILL A TURKEY AND TAKE THAT ANIMAL OUT OF THE WILD I TEND TO REGARD AS THE MOST ETHICAL WAY TO CONSUME ALMOST ANYTHING PARTICULARLY MEAT.
EVERY WILD ANIMAL DIES AN AWFUL DEATH.
EVERY SINGLE ONE.
WE DON'T SEE IT.
IT'S EASY FOR THOSE OF US WHO ARE NOT SUPER IMMERSED IN NATURE TO DISAVOW THAT FACT.
HUNTING ACTUALLY IS A FAR MORE MERCIFUL AND RELATIVELY PAINLESS DEATH THAT ANY WILD ANIMAL COULD HOPE TO EXPERIENCE.
I'M WILLING TO TAKE ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR DEATH AS PART OF TRYING TO LIKE STEWARD A SYSTEM THAT IS ACTUALLY SUSTAINABLE AND SURVIVABLE FOR US BECAUSE AS IT STANDS NOW THE WAY PEOPLE EAT MEAT IS GOING TO KILL US ALL.
>> I SAW THIS GIANT TURKEY AND I APPROACHED IT TO TAKE A PICTURE, LOOK AT HIM, ADMIRE HIM.
IT CHASED ME.
I TRIED TO MAKE MYSELF BIGGER LIKE DOING THIS TO SCARE IT OFF.
DIDN'T WORK.
BIT ME.
THAT TURKEY FEARS NO GOD AND NO MAN.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
HOW ARE YOU?
COME ON IN!
COME ON.
THIS TURKEY CAME TO ME WHEN SHE WAS JUST ONE DAY OLD.
WHAT?
YOU WANT THIS?
HERE.
I GOT SOME TREATS FOR YOU.
I LOOKED AT THE FEET AND I SAID, THAT IS SO SAD.
THEY WERE ALL CURLED AND TWISTED.
WE NAMED IT WAGGLES BECAUSE AS YOU CAN SEE IT WAGGLES WHEN IT WALKS.
I COULD SEE SHE IS NOT A TURKEY THAT IS EVERYTHING EVER GOING TO SURVIVE IN THE WILD.
YOU THINK THERE'S A MUSIC LESSON COMING?
I TEACH MUSIC LESSONS.
SHE WILL CATHOLIC CHURCH ADDLE INTO THE HOUSE.
I'LL SAY, OKAY, HOP UP ON THE HAS SOCK.
SHE WILL LISTEN TO THE MUSIC LESSON.
SHE LOVES MUSIC.
CAN YOU DO THAT?
THAT'S A GOOD ONE.
A, A, A, A.
A. I SAVED CATHOLIC CHURCH ADDLES, BECAUSE IT'S MY GIFT.
IT'S PART OF EDUCATING MY GRANDCHILDREN, MY CHILDREN.
MY STUDENTS.
EDUCATING JUST REGULAR PEOPLE AS TO HOW WILD ANIMALS ARE MEANT TO BE PART OF OUR LIFE.
SHE IS PART OF THE MUSIC CLASS.
THAT'S THE WAY IT IS.
[LAUGHTER] >> WE AS A SOCIETY ARE STARTING TO GRAPPLE WITH THE FACT THAT IF WE WANT TO LIVE IN A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT WE HAVE TO LEARN TO DEAL WITH BIG OCCASIONALLY INCONVENIENT ANIMALS LIKE WILD TURKEYS.
TURKEYS ARE GOOD EXAMPLES OF THE PARADOXES WE CREATE FOR OURSELVES.
THIS IS AN INHERENT TENSION BETWEEN HUMANS AND OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE NATURAL WORLD.
WE OFTEN LOVE THE NOTION OF WILDERNESS AND WILDLIFE MORE THAN WE LIKE THE REALITY OF WILDERNESS AND WILDLIFE.
>> THERE'S A TENSION ZONE BETWEEN QUICHE AND COYOTES, RACCOONS, SKUNKS, ALL KINDS OF ANIMALS.
MANY PEOPLE LIKE TO SEE THOSE ANIMALS.
WHAT THEY DON'T REALIZE IS THAT ONCE THOSE ANIMALS BECOME HABITUATED THEY CREATE PROBLEMS.
>> WE HAVE RESTORED THIS MAGNIFICENT GAME ANIMAL, THIS MAGNIFICENT ASPECT OF OUR NATURAL HERITAGE.
THE DIFFICULTY IS YOU'RE RESTORING AN ANIMAL TO A LANDSCAPE THAT IS NOT THE SAME AS THE ONE IT DISAPPEARED FROM SO SOMETIMES BRINGING BACK A LOST SPECIES HAS UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES.
IT CERTAINLY HAS BEEN THE CASE WITH TURKEYS.
>> WHETHER THEY BE BEARS TOURIN% DOWN BIRD FEED E, WHILE TAIL DEER CARRYING DEER TICKS, THOSE ARE UNFORESEEN CONSEQUENCES.
>> WILDLIFE POPULATIONS REALLY BY NATURE ARE NOT INTENDED TO BE CONTROLLED.
THEY ARE GOING TO DO WHAT THEY ARE GOING TO DO AND UNFORTUNATELY SO MANY OF THE WILDLIFE PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE CREATED, WELL, THEAT THE BOTTOM LINE.
WE HAVE CREATED THEM.
>> EVERYTHING HAS CONSEQUENCES.
THOSE CONSEQUENCES AREN'T ALWAYS WHAT IS INITIALLY INTENDED.
YES, THERE ARE SOME TURKEYS IN SUBURBAN AREAS THAT ARE AGGRESSIVE AND CHASE OR ATTACK PEOPLE.
OR THEY RUN OUT IN THE ROAD AND THERE'S A CAR ACCIDENT.
OR THEY DIG IN YOUR GARDEN.
BUT WILDLIFE IS PART OF THE REAL WORLD.
THAT INVOLVES THE POSITIVE CHARACTERISTICS AS WELL AS THE NEGATIVE.
IF PEOPLE ARE GOING TO LIVE IN AND COEXIST WITH WILDLIFE, PEOPLE SHOULD RECOGNIZE ANIMALS FOR WHAT THEY ARE.
THEY ARE WILD ANIMALS EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE ACCUSTOMED TO HUMAN PRESENCE.
THAT IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN SAYING THEY ARE TAME.
THEY ARE NOT.
>> MOST OF THE ONUS FOR PEACEFUL CO-HABITATION IN URBAN AREAS BETWEEN TURKEYS AND HUMANS LANDS ON THE HUMANS.
WE CAN'T EXPECT THE TURKEYS TO CHANGE THEIR BEHAVIOR.
WE'RE THE ONES WHO CAN RECOGNIZE THERE'S A PROBLEM AND WE CAN DO WHAT WE CAN TO TRY TO ALLEVIATE THAT.
>> WE WERE FORTUNATE THAT WEAR ABLE TO REINTRODUCE WILD TURKEYS TO THE STATE.
IT WAS A THRIVING SUCCESS.
BUT WE TEND TO RELY TOO MUCH ON OUR SUCCESSES AND THINK, OKAY, EVERYTHING IS FINE NOW.
WE HAVE RESTORED THEM.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TURKEYS FOREVER.
NATURE IS NOT CONSTANT.
NATURE ITSELF IS ALWAYS CHANGING.
SO WE HAVE TO BE VIGILANT.
WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THOSE CHANGES PARTICULARLY IN THE CONTEXT OF CLIMATE CHANGE, WE HAVE TO BE ATTENTIVE TO THE HABITAT SO THAT WE CAN PROTECT NOT JUST THE INDIVIDUAL ANIMALS BUT THE SUITE OF ORGANISMS THAT INVOLVE THESE DIFFERENT BIOTIC COMMUNITIES.
YES, PEOPLE IN URBAN AREAS AND SUBURBAN AREAS CAN LIVE WITH TURKEYS, COYOTES, BEARS, SKUNKS, FOXES AND ALL THOSE SPECIES.
JUST LIVE IN COMFORT WITH THEM IN THEIR PRESENCE WHERE THEY ARE.
YOU'RE ALL PART OF THE SAME EARTH.
>> I STILL LOVE THE TURKEYS BECAUSE THEY ARE GOING TO STAND THEIR GROUND AND I THINK I ADMIRE THAT ABOUT THEM.
IF THEY CAN COEXIST WITH US, FIND A WAY TO LIVING IN THE CITY, THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT DON'T LIVE IN THE CITY VERY WELL.
>> I WOULD RATHER HAVE THE SAME BIRDS RUNNING AROUND RATHER THAN SOMEPLACE CONCRETE AND STERILE.
>> IT'S PART OF OUR ETHICAL OBLIGATION TO DO BETTER THAN THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE US.
UNDO AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE DAMAGE THAT WE HAVE DONE.
OFTEN OUT OF A SENSE OF OUR OWN HUMAN SUPREMACY OVER AGAINST THE WIDER WEB OF LIFE.
>> SOMETHING HAS TO DO, WE HAVE TO LEARN TO SHARE THIS PLANET SOMEHOW.
[LAUGHTER]
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