911 call from NJ postmaster: 'I have a carrier that's being attacked by wild turkeys'

ByEyewitness News WABC logo
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
911 call released of mailman surrounded by turkeys
Kemberly Richardson is on the trail of the Hillsdale turkeys that surrounded and frightened a local mail carrier.

HILLSDALE, New Jersey (WABC) -- A postmaster's call for help, after one of his mail carriers was trapped inside a truck surrounded by wild turkeys in New Jersey, has been released.

The postmaster of the Hillsdale branch the U.S. Postal Service called 911 just after 12 p.m. Tuesday, prompting police officers to respond to the scene to assist.

Here's how the call started:

"Hey Sarge, this is the postmaster over in Hillsdale. You're not going to believe this, but I have a carrier that's being attacked by wild turkeys, won't let him deliver the mail."

The postmaster laughed.

"This has been going on. It's crazy. They were actually attacking, biting, chase the trucks - everything."

Listen to the full call here:

When officers arrived, they scared the turkeys away by walking toward them.

The mail carrier was not injured during the incident, but mail service was briefly held up to three homes on the street.

Word in the neighborhood is that the mail carrier was a substitute -- and wasn't familiar with the birds.

Eyewitness News went back out to Esplanade Drive in Hillsdale Wednesday, and sure enough spotted five wild turkeys running through the area:

Neighbors said the turkeys are an issue in the area. Resident Roseann M. Doody posted this photo of turkeys in Hillsdale:

"I don't want to judge anybody, especially if you aren't used to it. We're used to it, we see them every day," said Maris Cefali, a Hillsdale resident.

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