Crows Hold Grudges for 17 Years

Crows Hold Grudges for 17 Years

And they teach their children who to hate.

In 2006, a researcher at the University of Washington put on a caveman mask and trapped seven crows. He tagged them and let them go.

Big mistake.

For the next 17 years, every time he wore that mask on campus, crows would dive-bomb him, scream at him, and follow him around. At one point, 47 out of 53 crows he encountered attacked him on sight.

But here's the creepy part:

Crows who weren't even there for the original trapping joined in. The birds had told each other about him. They taught their offspring. Baby crows born years later knew to hate the caveman mask — even though they'd never personally been wronged.

The researchers also tested a "neutral" mask — one that had never threatened any crows. That mask? A Dick Cheney face. No attacks. In 2023, after 17 years, the crows finally stopped.

Scientists aren't sure if they forgave him... or if the original crows just died.

So be nice to crows. They remember. And they talk.