This Reddit Thread About A Woman Who Accidentally Created An Army Of Crows Is The Best Bird Story You'll Read Today
A viral thread, shared on Reddit's r/legaladvice and resurfacing on Twitter, raised the question of whether you can get in trouble for inciting crows to attack others.
Redditor u/cranne inquired about whether she would be held legally responsible if crows that she was taking care of, which suddenly became her bodyguards, attacked people. "Am I liable if my murder attempts murder?" she quipped.
She was inspired by a nature program she was watching which explained that if you "feed and befriend" a crow, they'll "bring you small gifts." Her generosity worked beyond her wildest imagination as the crows she was feeding grew into a small corvid militia and began defending her territory.
When a neighbor came over to visit, the crows violently dive bombed her, which inspired u/cranne to turn to Reddit to see if she'd be liable for injuries caused by the crows.
Someone observed this phenomenon is called "resource guarding." Can crows really form an army? Crow expert Dr. Kaeli Swift is skeptical and thinks other factors are probably at play here i.e. "the neighbor already has a bad reputation with the crows."
The legal experts in the thread thought it would be "a stretch" for someone to win a case against her.
A few months later, it turned out one of the crows actually "saved a life."
In an update this week, u/cranne explained that after reaching out to her local Audubon Society chapter, they thought feeding the crows was acceptable and suggested having the neighbors begin feeding them as well to better socialize them. This suggestion worked, and the dive bombings stopped.
After an elderly neighbor slipped and fell, the crows began "going ballistic" and helped draw attention to the fallen man.
In conclusion, befriend a crow today, they could save your life.
[Via Twitter]
