London on the Wild Side

This story by Joe Belanger appeared In the London Free press today:

Wild turkeys are running wild in London.
Just ask any of the dozens of morning commuters who saw them running around Fanshawe Park Road West or Clarke Road near Trafalgar.
There was even a report on the radio of a wild turkey near a Tim Hortons drive-thru, but there were no confirmed reports of whether the large native bird placed an order.
“Yes, we’ve been hearing reports,” confirmed London police Const. Amy Phillipo.
“There was a report Wednesday of a wild turkey running down the middle of the road at William Street and Bathurst Street and another report of one hit by a car and killed at the corner of Commissioners Road East and Hamilton Road.”
In recent years, there have been several reports of wild turkeys visiting London neighborhoods, especially in the spring during mating season.
The bird, native to Ontario until it was wiped out by hunting and loss of habitat in the early 1900s, was reintroduced to the province in the early 1980s when Ontario exchanged some moose for the wild birds prized by sports hunters.
Today, it’s estimated there are more than 80,000 wild turkeys in the province, including a large population in Southwestern Ontario.
Great now they can go with the raccoons, skunks, and foxes that are already here. Who said you have to live in the country to see wildlife?