Raven; Banff National Park

This photo was made in February 2003. Ravens (Corvus corax) are extremely rare in the Netherlands and those that do live there are quite shy. I had seen a fair number of ravens in Scotland, but there too, they are very shy and usually only observed from far away. That made it very surprising that ravens are very abundant in Banff National Park, and shy is about the last word you'd use when describing them (see one of the photos from 2006 where one is ready to hop into my car to look for food!). Probably the ravens in national parks are not very shy because hunting is not allowed within park boundaries. When hunting is allowed, ravens are unpopular enough to make them ideal shooting material. A shame, because these animals are not only extremely beautiful and intelligent, their bad imago is hardly deserved!

Image number: AWBC001