A couple driving along a lonely stretch of snowy Canadian highway had some unexpected company — a raven that used their car’s draft to hitch a ride for 45 minutes.
Alex Lavoie, Jodi Young, and their cat were driving from a job in the Yukon back home to British Columbia when an enterprising avian swooped in front of their car, spread its wings, and soared along in front of them for the better part of an hour. Lavoie couldn’t quite believe his eyes.
The raven used the car draft to travel roughly 60km. Photo: Screenshot
“I pulled my phone out of my pocket, threw it on my girlfriend’s lap and said, ‘hey quick, wake up — you gotta record this!'” Lavoie told the CBC.
After about 25 minutes, Lavoie and Young stopped to feed their feline, and to their surprise, the raven joined them in their pit stop. The couple tossed the bird some cat treats, then all four travelers got back on the road. The clever Corvid drafted along for another 20 minutes or so before flying off with another member of its species.
Pit stop. Photo: Screenshot
Lavoie and Young drove at about 80 kph, meaning their new buddy crossed 60km of northern Yukon countryside in 45 minutes. Not bad for only flapping its wings a few times!
Ravens: smarter than you think
A member of the Corvid family, ravens are known for intelligence, resourcefulness, and playfulness. According to a 2015 article in The Guardian, ravens “have a natural propensity to cooperate with each other.” National Geographic states the birds possess the “flexibility to plan for future events” — a trait once thought to belong only to hominids.
Does this mean we might soon be seeing more ravens zooming along in front of cars in the Yukon?
Watch the video and decide for yourself!
