Nicole sent me another story, this one from last spring. It seems that an Israeli man made the mistake of moving a baby crow that had fallen from its nest. This made the chick’s mother angry, and she’s been terrorizing him ever since:
Badash’s nightmare began after a crow’s chick fell out of its nest into his backyard last week. The young bird’s loud cries forced Badash to pick it up and carry it outside his garden, a move that proved to be a big mistake.
Ever since that day a crow — probably the chick’s mother — began attacking Badash on a daily basis. “When I came back home on Independence Day, the crow began attacking me… several days later I went outside the house and was assaulted again. I felt I was in danger. I tried to run and then fell and injured myself. Whenever I wanted to leave the house, the crow would strike me. I was forced to be on the run constantly,” Badash related.
“This is a large and scary bird. Even when I’m running it flies faster and catches up with me. Fortunately it does not move against my wife and children and only attacks me,” he added.
In the meantime, Badash’s life has become unbearable. He said that he is unable to sit in his garden as the crow lurks there waiting to attack. “Whenever I go out of the house I put on a helmet and hold a parasol over my head, and only in this way I’m protected,” he explained.
Badash approached the Ramat Hasharon municipality several times in order to get their help, but he claimed no one there took him seriously. However, the town’s Mayor Itzik Ruchberger eventually consented to visit Badash’s house and look into the situation himself.
The mayor, who confirmed he had witnessed the crow attacking Badash, said that according to the city’s veterinarians “this is a common phenomenon that lasts for a week or two and then disappears. As the crow is a protected animal the veterinarians cannot hurt it, and so the only solution is to wait for the problem to resolve itself.”
There are several interesting elements to this story:
- The crow is a protected animal in Israel. Is this for religious reasons? Or are they just not as plentiful as here in the Pacific Northwest?
- This particular crow is holding a grudge. It’s remembering its anger and acting upon it repeatedly.
- But it’s not attacking people indiscriminately; it’s attacking the person against whom it holds the grudge.
- The crow’s behavior has been witnessed by multiple people.
I’ve seen the crows in our yard. I wouldn’t want to mess with them. They’re big and nasty. (Maybe nasty is the wrong word: I love crows, and am pleased to have them around. I just wouldn’t want to get in a fight with one.)
[Ynetnews: Israeli man: I'm being stalked by a crow]
4 responses so far ↓
1 Lynn // Apr 27, 2007 at 7:25 am
It might be incorrect to say that the crow is angry and attacking out of anger. If it is in fact a parent of the chick it could see Badash as a source of danger and is only trying to drive him away from the nest.
2 Brunswickian // Jun 8, 2007 at 8:23 am
I read this book once written by a woman who rescued crows. I remember her mentioning that crows can be vindictive. Apparently she had to get rid of one of her crows because it’d taken to attacking one of her kids (I think the kid did something to the crow), and she knew the crow would never forgive the kid.
3 Sally Russell // May 21, 2008 at 9:46 pm
I thought I was rescuing a baby crow last week that was in the middle of our driveway. I moved it away from harm and then eventually put it in an open basket so that it’s parent’s could see it. My husband and daughter fed it while I was away for two days and said that it got stronger and more lively. When I returned 2 days later the baby crow was gone. We don’t know if the parents were able to get it back up in the nest or if another animal got it.
Now, whenever I go outside to be in the garden and take care of the plants, the crows dive down at me. I eventually go inside because it is scary and unpleasant. The crows do not attack my husband or child. Just me. At first I thought I was imagining, but now I am certain that they are mad or being vindictive. I hope it stops soon so I can enjoy being outside again.
4 Michelle M // Jun 14, 2008 at 9:44 pm
I was walking down the street completely unsespecting, when a crow dove at and smashed into my head. It hit me so hard I actually thought I was being attacked by a person because he also came from behind me. I was not anywhere near a nest nor did I see a chick or move one or anything. I was simply walking and he attacked. After the first blow to the head he flew atop a hydro pole sat for a moment and came back for more. I’m blown away! This is by far the most creepy things that has ever happened to me.
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