A wild turkey wreaked havoc at a long-term care home in Beauceville, Que., after forcibly entering a nursing station Saturday.
Local farmers say the incident is a sign the bird is a growing problem in the region.
The bird broke through the window on the second floor of the CHSLD de Beauceville at 6:30 a.m. when no one was in the room, according to the regional health authority, the CISSS de Chaudière-Appalaches.
When employees arrived and closed the door, the bird “came to its senses” within minutes and left the way it entered, the CISSS de Chaudière-Appalache said.
James Allen, president of the regional federation of the Union des producteurs agricoles de Chaudière-Appalaches, says he noticed an increased presence of turkeys in the surrounding area in recent years. From Bellechasse to Beauce, turkeys are everywhere, he says.
“There is an overabundance of turkeys and they are causing damage,” Allen said.
He also said the bird devours hay and farmers’ food reserves, which can cause significant financial and material losses.
“For four or five years, things have been getting worse and worse,” he added.
‘We’re losing control’
On the other side of the St. Lawrence River, wild turkeys are giving farmers serious headaches.
“They have reached the Portneuf region, and we know it’s a matter of time before we find them in Charlevoix or on Île d’Orléans,” said Yves Laurencelle, president of the federation of the Union des producteurs agricoles de la Capitale-Nationale–Côte-Nord.
“It’s happening very quickly.”
Facing an increase of turkeys in the region, the federation is calling on the government to ease hunting restrictions.
“We really need to control the wild turkey population because we are currently losing control,” said Laurencelle.