ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Residents in Rochester’s 19th Ward have an unusual neighbor—a turkey that has become a local mascot. News10NBC’s Declan Stablow visited the area to learn more about the bird, which has been seen wandering through yards around Genesee Street.

Mary Dukes-Wilson, a local resident, said, “I just hope everybody just be careful to know he’s part of the neighborhood, and just look out for him, you know what, maybe we should get a turkey crossing sign.”

The turkey has been given several names by the community, including Ward and Genny, short for Genesee. Donatella Stocchi calls it Tom.

“Its kind of cute to see him on this day, and we’re not going to catch him so he’s fine, he’s safe,” said Stocchi.

Dukes-Wilson calls the turkey Thaddus, and even sent us a video of Thaddus chasing a FedEx truck.

“I saw Thaddus chasing the guy, he buckled up his wings and the guy jumped in the truck, I started laughing and I said, Thaddus, what are you doing to that FedEx man? And Thaddus is just gobble gobble gobble,” said Dukes-Wilson.

It’s not just FedEx. Paul Leech said he’s seen the turkey chase Amazon drivers too.

“He just walks around it, he sees it, he comes over to it. He’ll just keep walking around it and it looks like he’s going to attack the guy that’s in the truck, because he’s scared, he just kind of stays in the truck because he doesn’t know where the turkey is,” said Leech.

The bird has also been seen using the crosswalk near Genesee Valley Park, and it seems to enjoy stopping traffic.

“He stopped an RTS bus, and they waited until he ambled across the street, but I think it’s good. Let the community live with the wildlife,” said neighbor Miriam O’donnell.

Despite the trouble, people I spoke with do want to make sure the turkey is safe and cared for.

“I would not want to see him hit because he’s such a novelty in the neighborhood right now,” said Leech.

The New York Department of Environmental Conservation is urging the public to create a safe space for the turkey while reminding neighbors not to feed it.

The post ‘He’s part of the neighborhood’: Turkey becomes mascot in Rochester’s 19th Ward appeared first on WHEC.com.