The motive for the raven’s actions are not known. It has been speculated the bird was protesting the ticket being issued or simply hungry. We will probably never know for sure.
Annemieke Mulders, a Yellowknife resident, was downtown last week when she observed a raven pecking at parking ticket that had been placed under the windshield wiper blade of car. She took her phone out and filmed the bird attacking the ticket. In the eight-second video a woman, presumably Mulders, can be heard laughing on the film and another bird can be seen on the hood of the car. Mulder later posted the video on Facebook, sent it to CBC and the video went viral.
Mulders told CBC in an email, “I watched this little monster take the ticket from under the windshield wiper and shred it and (I think) eat some of it.
Although Mulder and many others think this is funny, it is no laughing matter to the city of Yellowknife. Representatives of the city acknowledge they have never heard “the dog ate my homework” or in this case “the raven ate my parking ticket” excuse before but insist the ticket still has to be paid. Once a ticket is issued it goes into the system and must be paid.
The owner of the car faces a fine of $25 and if the fine is not paid within 10 days, it doubles to $50.
While ravens are common in Yellowknife, CBC reported in December 2015 several hundred roosting ravens descended on the city’s downtown at that time. While the exact reason for the ravens’ migration is unknown, it is believed the tearing down of the Great Mine headframe is responsible. It was home to a large roost of the birds.
It is not known if the owner of the ticketed vehicle is aware he or she was issued a parking ticket.
