Pecked to Death at Fort Sam Houston

Outside the original quadrangle of Fort Sam Houston, with the 90' water tower in the distance.

Before we left San Antonio, we took a side trip to Fort Sam Houston.  This is one of the biggest Army bases in the U.S.  Still very much an active base, we had to register at the visitor's center before we could enter. Then we wound our way around to the "quad," the original Army fort,  originally built as a supply depot in 1876.  Inside the eight-acre courtyard we discovered a free range zoo of peacocks, ducks, geese, egrets, deer, and two aggressive wild turkeys.  These turkeys nearly pecked Steven to death before we could escape to the Fort Sam Houston Museum, right inside the complex. 

Deer, albino peacocks, regular peacocks, and a really aggressive turkey

Once inside the museum we discovered that animals have been roaming the quadrangle for over a hundred years.  Rumor had it that they were introduced into the yard when Apache war chief Geronimo was held prisoner at the fort for six weeks in 1886, on account of his desire for fresh meat.

 

Geronimo and members of his band were prisoners of war for six weeks at Fort Sam Houston in 1886.