A UPS driver backing out of a delivery in Branford on February 13th, found himself in an unusual standoff — a group of wild turkeys had him cornered.
Resident Hindy Jaffee filmed the moment from her apartment window. The video shows the driver retreating down a walkway, arms slightly raised, as three large turkeys advance. He never drops the package. Within days, the clip exploded on TikTok, hitting 19 million views by February 17th.
In the footage, the driver sprints between stops while two turkeys pursue him house to house. "Ya'll better back up," he yells. At one point he tries luring them to the side of his truck so he can grab the next package. It doesn't work for long. "I'm 40 years old, I can't be dealing with this," he says, running.
The clip has since ricocheted across Connecticut news feeds, less for the danger than the absurdity — a delivery man, doing his job, undone by birds.
But behind the laughs, there’s a pattern. Wild turkeys, once rare in town centers, now strut through subdivisions, schoolyards, and shopping plazas. Their comeback began in the 1970s, when state wildlife officials reintroduced the species. Today, they’re a common sight from Newtown to New Haven.
And they’re not always polite.
Turkeys can turn aggressive during mating season, especially when they’ve grown used to people. They’re big — up to 20 pounds — and territorial. In places where lawns meet woods, like the apartment complex off Route 1, encounters are inevitable.
Still, experts say the message is clear: don’t feed them, don’t challenge them, and if one blocks your path — just walk away.
For now, Branford isn’t planning any public meetings on turkey management. There’s no special hotline for bird confrontations. But as spring heats up and hormones surge in the brush, residents near green spaces should stay alert.
Even the most routine errand can turn into a viral moment.
The video can be watched on Reddit here