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An Ottawa man caught on video escaping from two persistent and hostile turkeys is opening up about his experience.
Lab technician Michael Bourgon said he was walking near Prince of Wales Drive and Heron Road on Thursday when the birds began hounding him.
“I see a couple of turkeys. I didn’t think too much of it. I said, ‘Hey, what’s up, turkeys?’ And then they started coming at me,” he told CBC Radio’s Ottawa Morning.
The first of two videos posted to social media show Bourgon trying to walk away from the two turkeys as they follow him over a crosswalk. At some point, Bourgon kicks snow toward them while trying to get them to leave him alone.
I was not in the mood for turkey business.– Michael Bourgon
The second video shows someone letting Bourgon into their vehicle to get away from the birds. While stopped at a red light, the turkeys peck at his door while Bourgon watches from the window.
The turkeys block two lanes of traffic on the busy intersection as they watch Bourgon and his saviour drive away.
Ottawa resident Jody Paul captured on camera a man being followed by two turkeys at a busy intersection.
“A complete and total stranger did not hesitate to just offer assistance, which is kind of nice,” Bourgon said.
“She’s some random lady in the car. I look like the Unabomber. So like, she’s the one who’s reaching out here. And honestly, I just want to get away from these turkeys.… I was not in the mood for turkey business.”
Round 2
The encounter was recorded by passerby Jody Paul, then Paul’s coworker shared it on Reddit. It then made its way to other platforms.
“I just happen to look over and and see these two turkeys kind of attacking this poor guy.…It’s like such a naturally funny situation that I kind of wanted to memorialize it,” Paul told CBC News.
The big omnivorous birds live in wooded areas and venture forth to forage, according to Cornell University’s ornithology lab. Males hang out with other males outside the spring breeding season.
Bourgon’s said he was better prepared with online research when he saw two of the big, omnivorous birds again the next day near the Central Experimental Farm.
“I just stood my ground, they stopped and we just sort of looked at each other for a bit and then I just slowly backed away while facing them and they just didn’t follow me,” he said.
“They just ignored me and I ignored them, and I seemed to have reached a turkey détente.”
Ottawa Morning7:31Man versus wild turkeys in Ottawa
Michael Bourgon was recently chased by two wild turkeys through midday traffic and rescued by a driver. Hear his side of the story and what it’s like to be at the centre of a viral video.
