WASHINGTON – An angry bird is running afoul in D.C.
Mark Seagraves with NBC Washington spoke with people who are being chased by a wild turkey on a popular trail.
DeDe Folarin shot this video about two weeks ago on the Anacostia River Walk Trail near the Kenilworth Gardens
“It was a scary situation,” recalled Folarin. “Just riding along the path this gigantic turkey just jumps up towards my face almost knocked me off my bike then proceeded to chase me around for five minutes.”
There have been multiple sightings of wild turkeys along the trail dating back to November.
“There’s actually a pretty healthy turkey population in D.C. and surrounding areas. There’s at least a hundred maybe even two here in the district,” said Dan Rauch, Fisheries and Wildlife Biologist. “You just never see them.”
Rauch, who works for the D.C. Dept. of Environment, said he’s tried catching the bird using different turkey calls.
“If this turkey approaches you back up and move away. It is a big bird they do have spurs. They can run and they can fly,” said Rauch.
Folarin knows just how fast they are. After the turkey went at him, it went after this woman.
“I put the phone down and picked up the biggest twig I could find and started whacking the bird twice feather. He kind of stepped off back into brush,” said Folarin.
Folarin says he and the woman have been asked repeatedly why they didn’t just run away.
“They can be very aggressive and very fast and you’ve just never been attacked by a turkey before,” he said.