Feds Called In To Roundup 100 Turkeys In Staten Island
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The feds are taking on turkeys in Staten Island.
CBS2's Jessica Schneider reported the U.S. Department of Agriculture has been called into the Dongan Hills section where wild turkeys clog up the roads and dart into the streets.
"The novelty's worn off and they've become a nuisance," City Councilman Steve Matteo told CBS2. "The USDA can now start baiting and getting the turkeys and relocating them to a sanctuary in Greene County."
Residents who live near the intersection of Seaview and Mason Avenues have been complaining about the birds who have been causing trouble for the past eight years.
"They go in the street, they cause traffic," resident Maryann Kjairi told CBS2. "They could cause accidents."
CBS2 reports there are now medical concerns involving the turkeys as they are invading the grounds at Staten Island University Hospital.
"They leave their feces and the hospital is worried about people and the patients coming in and dragging it into the hospital," Matteo said.
The USDA is coming to Staten Island to round up 100 of these turkeys and take them to a sanctuary upstate. If there's still more trouble, they will get another permit to round up more of the birds.
"I grew up in New Jersey and I like the nature of it, but it gets overwhelming, I guess," resident Marina DiNatale told CBS2.
The turkeys should be gone sometime next week.