Extinct at Mesa Verde in historic times, the turkey was reintroduced in 1944. This permitted observation of the relationship between wild birds and domesticated employees at the park. Timid at first, the turkeys soon knew where food could be found. They took over the feeding stations set out for small birds and took advantage of warm roosting places in the residential area. Despite efforts to chase them away (tossing cherry bombs and firing guns in the air), turkeys continued to congregate around park homes. It can be conjectured that the prehistoric Indians suffered likewise. When they learned that they could not drive off the turkeys, they most likely decided to corral them to protect their crops and food stores. Recognition of the value of this bird for food and artifacts was the logical next step. Domestication must have been a means for establishing order and maintaining sanity among the prehistoric Indians, who might otherwise have been driven wild by turkeys.