To clear up any confusion - no, it is not the Baltimore Ravens who have been spotted in the Battlefords.
Instead, it is real ravens - birds - that have descended on North Battleford in flocks recently.
Councillor Don Buglas brought the issue up during Monday's city council meeting. He said people have noticed the birds and that they are "creating quite a nuisance, and creating a lot of havoc for people with pets and such."
Public works director Stewart Schafer noted the ravens were a problem, too, when speaking to reporters following the meeting, as those birds were attracted to garbage in the city.
But getting rid of the ravens could be challenging. City Manager Jim Toye noted that ravens are a protected species, and as a result they cannot be shot. Ravens are protected under the Migratory Birds Convention Act.
An alternative method would be needed, Toye said. He plans to check into the methods used by other communities to see what can be done to get rid of them.
Mayor Ian Hamilton made clear at the meeting he would welcome any solution to the issue.
"They are a nuisance, there's no doubt about that," said Hamilton.
