The Snitch

When we’re out in the wilderness, we do everything we can to move quietly and go unnoticed. The more we blend into the landscape, the better our chances of witnessing those natural, unscripted moments.

But every now and then, our cover is blown… and it usually comes with a familiar call.

If a raven spots us first, it’s often game over. Perched high in the trees, they’ll begin calling out across the forest, announcing our presence long before we’ve had a chance to see anything ourselves. And once they’ve decided to follow, there’s no hiding. That steady chorus seems to echo ahead of us, warning everything within earshot that we’re on the move.

We’ve come to jokingly call them the “snitches” of the forest.

And yet, despite their knack for giving us away, I can’t help but admire them. Their intelligence is remarkable, and their ability to mimic sounds never ceases to amaze me. One time in the Great Bear Rainforest, we stopped in our tracks, convinced we were hearing a cat purring nearby… only to realize it was a raven, perfectly imitating the sound.

Moments like that are a reminder that even when nature outsmarts us, it still leaves us in awe.

- Stan Masters                                                                                             

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