'All we could do was run': the strange story of Gerald, the turkey who terrorized a city

[marmar]

(Guardian UK) The turkey locked eyes with her from across the park.

Like many Oaklanders, sixteen-year-old Jojo Thompson had heard plenty of stories about Gerald, the “feisty” turkey harassing visitors in the city’s rose garden. But before visiting the seven-acre public park with a friend on a recent October afternoon, she thought the tales had been exaggerated.

After seeing the agitated turkey closing in on some people nearby, Thompson and her friend took refuge behind a tree. But they weren’t safe for long – Gerald soon had the teens in his sight. The bird started stalking them, menacingly, Thompson recalled, then chased them up the hill and out of the park. She lost both her shoes in the process.


Jojo Thompson filmed her escape from Gerald in Oakland’s rose garden.
“I had heard of his attacks, but I never thought it would happen to me,” Thompson said. “All we could do was run.” ...........(more)

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/nov/25/oakland-turkey-gerald-attack-rose-garden

[WhiteTara]

1. When I was growing up on a farrm, we had

a tom that was the only one that lived from a clutch of them and he got big and mean and it was a race from the car to the house every time. Finally, it chased my mom and flew into the storm door, and broke the glass. He had to be carved in half to fit in the freezer.

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. OK, who stole the plot from an unaired 'Parks and Recreation' episode?

This is hilarious.

[roamer65]

3. So you giving us the bird for Thanksgiving?

Bad roamer.

Good story, btw!

[MineralMan]

4. There was a wild tom turkey in an Ace Hardware parking lot

that was chasing people. People ran away from it in fear. A guy working in the store told me what was going on. So, I went out of the store and walked around in the parking lot until the turkey came for me. What was I to do?

Well, what I did was hold my arms out horizontally, wave them up and down, and ran straight at the stupid bird, yelling loudly as I went. When I got about six feet from it, it turned around, ran madly away and then flew off. It never came back.

We are larger than turkeys. We are taller than turkeys. We are louder than turkeys. Why would anyone be afraid of a turkey. Just chase it off, arms waving and yelling. It will run for its life and then fly to safer ground.

Don't be afraid of turkeys, folks.

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. It's an entirely different kind of turkey, altogether:

The reports were often similar: Gerald would spot an unsuspecting victim from across the garden. He would take off running, either chasing them away or, if they stood their ground, mounting and scratching them until they fled. He often targeted the young and older people – those who could not quickly outrun him. He seemed particularly attracted to wheeled vehicles including, unfortunately, baby strollers.