On a Wild Jaunt: Souris Urban Safari
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 29/01/2025 (233 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
SOURIS — For a western Manitoba community known for its passion for peacocks, Souris certainly has a whole lot of turkeys — of the wild gobbler variety.
On a bright and sunny Tuesday morning, I made the trip into town while hunting for some photographs for the daily paper. Sometimes getting out of Brandon and into rural Manitoba offers a refreshing change of pace, and just maybe a photo or two.
For those who love wildlife, taking a walk through Victoria Park in Souris is a fine way not only to spend a few hours, but also a great place for a little urban safari.
While tromping through the trees and snow, I spotted a family of deer, some energetic squirrels, a bald eagle high overhead, and two different flocks of turkeys — one milling around some homes on the west side of the park, and the other on the east side of the valley foraging in front of one of Souris’ lovely old heritage homes.
I must have ruffled the feathers of the first group, though, for as I approached the flock, the group took off into the air and landed four or five blocks away, with many of them ending up in trees along a single boulevard. Who knew turkeys could fly so well or so high?
The community’s prized peacocks were first introduced to the park’s bird sanctuary in 1984, but the area’s wild turkeys came in sometime after, moving themselves in around 2004, according to a Winnipeg Free Press story from 2014.
At one point, the numbers of wild turkeys grew so large they were seen as a menace, but somehow, they have persevered in the community despite their reputation.
For my part, they’re a beautiful addition to the park and the surrounding neighbourhood, particularly in winter, though of course I don’t live there.
But I do wonder if the powers that be might consider taking on the wild turkey as a kind of secondary official bird. They’re not as pretty as a peacock, perhaps, with their balding heads and bright red waddles, but they’re certainly photogenic, nevertheless.
» mgoerzen@brandonsun.com
» Bluesky: @mattgoerzen.bsky.social
