The Turkeys Are Back In Town

Turkey's have been a symbol of Thanksgiving; much like Santa is the symbol of Christmas. For many people the turkey is the center of the meal that many spend together with their families, enjoying home cooked food. In Southeast Michigan however, you couldn't spot a turkey for nearly 50 years, the birds were only seen in the after process of being cooked and you rarely saw them roaming in the wild.

Matt Pedigo chair of the Michigan Wildlife Council was pleased by the efforts to conserve the wildlife as it was a symbol of the outdoor lifestyle represented here in Michigan hunters who sought after the animal for sport and food. It was through this effort, and the reintroduction of the turkey back into the Michigan wilderness first introducing the birds in Western Michigan, that the population is thriving again.

The turkey not only a symbol of a meal, but surely becoming a symbol of what conservation can do in restoring the population of animal that was once gone, now Michigan is seventh in the U.S. with a sizable turkey population.

Follow more of the story at The Detroit News

Image Credit via Michigan Department of Natural Resources