This summer, Calgary Wildlife had the incredible opportunity to offer care to a group of five common ravens. The first raven was injured when the barn where the nest was built was torn down, the other four ravens were a sibling group whose nest had been demolished in a storm.
All five were raised together, from early May when they were only babies, until mid July when they were mature and ready to be released.
As they grew, the ravens were provided with a diverse and nutritious diet, as ravens are omnivores, they can eat both meat and produce. This group especially liked melons.
Animals are also in need of enrichment as they grow, they were provided with various perches, branches and water sources in their flight pen to explore. On hot days, a favourite enrichment activity was playing in the mist from a hose.
Despite the word common in their proper name, these birds are anything but ordinary. Ravens are part of the corvid family and are among some of the smartest animals in the world.
In fact, corvid intelligence is often compared to that of dolphins and chimpanzees. Ravens exhibit problem solving abilities and long term memory.
They are extremely vocal animals and could often be heard cawing to each other and even calling to other corvids at Calgary Wildlife.
In July, after over 60 days in care, all five ravens were released on the Calgary Wildlife property, this process is known as a soft release. Soft releases allow our team to continue to monitor their progress and offer food until they are confident enough to leave on their own.
They continue to thrive freely in the area and can sometimes be seen perching on the roof of a building or strolling around the property.
If you see a raven or other animal in need of help give us a call at 403-214-1312
Back for a visit in August.