Turkeys out of place

As a South Hill resident, I agree with Jeanie Smith’s sentiment in her April 5 letter about the turkeys: “Man can stick his nose where it doesn’t belong one too many times, before Mother Nature turns around and bites back.”

Well, Mother Nature has bitten back. The turkeys have become a nuisance; they are not only a “mere inconvenience” to our lives, they are an invasive species. They are a non-native species introduced into the area, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Like most, if not all invasive species, the turkeys have become a problem that needs to be managed. Not only do invasive species create ecological problems by displacing local native species, they create economic problems as well. One only needs to do a simple Internet search on the effects of invasive species such as zebra mussels, Eurasian milfoil and yellow star thistle.

If the turkey population needs to be managed within the city limits by oiling unhatched eggs, so be it. They are not native to this area and they need to be managed.

Jim Thompson

Spokane