LONGWOOD, Fla. — The Seminole County Sheriff's Office's Special Operations Range and Water Disaster Response Team could soon get involved in the wild turkey issue in Longwood, Channel 9's Angela Jacobs learned.
Eyewitness News has learned the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will send a state biologist to assess issues surrounding the presence of wild turkeys in the Wingfield Reserve.
Eyewitness News reported last week that residents recorded video of the turkeys chasing children. Residents said the animals also aggressively peck at car doors, often preventing people from getting in or out of their vehicles.
"I'm often plotted to stand on a mailbox. I don't know what I'm going to do, so I try to make a plan," resident Kristen Haynes told Eyewitness News. "We want our kids to be able to play outside. We want to be able to go on a walk or a run and not have to be worried that we're going to get hurt."
At least one resident said they were scratched by one of the turkeys.
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The birds are protected and the FWC said it makes decisions on when and how to remove turkeys from an area more complicated.
Since our story, Eyewitness News learned the Seminole County Sheriff's Office Special Operations Range and Water Disaster Response Team has also been in touch with FWC to offer help in finding a solution.
Photos: Turkeys spotted in Longwood
Wildlife experts describe the turkeys' aggression as territorial behavior common in mating season.
Cox Media Group
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