MICHIGAN CITY, Ind. – A wild turkey is no longer posing a traffic hazard at a busy Indiana intersection.

The turkey had been causing a problem at the intersection for about a month. It was killed Jan. 13 by conservation officers with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

James Brindle, director of communications for DNR, said the officers happened to spot the turkey before 9 a.m. in the middle of Michigan Boulevard and Johnson Road in Michigan City.

Brindle said the officers ventured out into the intersection where the bird has been coming and going. He said the adult-sized bird followed the officers to just off the side of the road where it was killed.

The decision to kill the turkey was made last week when the turkey was declared a threat to public safety, said Steve Backs, wildlife turkey biologist for DNR.

According to police, some motorists, starting about a week before Christmas, came to a complete stop to avoid hitting the turkey. Some travelers, concerned more about the safety of the bird, ventured on foot into the intersection to try and shoo the turkey back into the surrounding woods.

There were also complaints of the turkey attacking vehicles and making some people feel threatened, police said.

In most cases, Backs said DNR chooses to euthanize wildlife posing a risk to humans.

“What we’re more concerned about is somebody getting hit by a single bird in the roadway,” he said.

He said the turkey, if relocated, likely would have become a nuisance or safety risk elsewhere.

Backs said wild turkeys making a road a hangout does happen occasionally, usually in rural areas. He said they can be drawn to kernels of grain dropping from trucks heading to an elevator on a regular basis.

Eventually, Backs said wildlife gathered in one spot can become a source of food for other more dangerous animals.

“It’s kind of like the water holes in Africa. If everything is going to the same water hole, guess what? Predators are going to be there for a free meal,” he said.

Backs could not explain the behavior of this turkey, which was in a more urban setting in the northwest part of the state.

Warren Smith said he tried spotting the turkey every day while passing through the intersection on his way to work at B & E Marine in Michigan City.

The Coolspring Township volunteer firefighter laid eyes on the turkey for the first time about 24 hours before the bird was killed. After stopping for a red light, Smith said he snapped a picture of the bird through the windshield of his truck.

The turkey moved closer to his front bumper and then to the side of his truck when the traffic signal turned green.

Smith said he was sad about the turkey’s death but understood the decision.

“You don’t want the thing to cause any accidents or bodily injury to anybody. The turkey is not worth it,” he said.