Hostile wild turkey attacks Fairfield resident, wails on police car

A wild turkey near a North Bay airport reportedly earned itself the nickname "Vacavilloceraptor" this weekend after attacking a local and a police car.

As reported by KTVU Monday, the incident took place near an airport in Fairfield when a hostile turkey began attacking a resident.

The resident then contacted the police. A patrol officer that arrived on the scene then was subject to the turkey striking the vehicle with the officer still inside, KTVU reported.

Rather than confront the turkey, video footage shows the officer driving away as the turkey trails the officer.

The officer, KTVU reported, offered some tips on how to handle a wild turkey attack.

"Stay in your vehicle, they haven't figured out door handles yet," the officer told the station. "Also, consider safely driving away. They can only run up to 25 mph."

California Department of Fish and Wildlife spokesperson Ken Pagia said wild turkeys, while still rare, "have adapted to urban environments and can become aggressive as well as a nuisance, especially when fed by the public."

His advice for confronting an aggressive turkey is to haze it.

"If you're approached by an aggressive turkey and feel uncomfortable, you can haze the animal without hurting it by standing tall, shouting aggressively, or by throwing sticks or rocks at it," Pagia said.

The resident's strategy was also effective — getting to a safe place and contacting law enforcement — as was the officer staying in the vehicle.

But Pagia notes that turkeys can sometimes get extra aggressive with cars.

"Note that male turkeys sometimes peck at windows or other reflective surfaces because they seem to think their reflection is another bird in their territory," he said.

Turkey attacks, while still rare, have grown in notoriety in the Bay Area in recent years. Between Gerald terrorizing Oakland residents across much of 2020, and the group of turkeys who wrought havoc at NASA's Ames Research Center earlier this year, the chaos they've created has intensified beyond pandemic novelty.

"The bottom line is that people should respect wild turkeys by giving them space and not providing food or water," Pagia said.