The issue of getting rid of the ravens in the city limits of North Battleford got a little more complicated Monday night.
Recently, the raven problem had been very prominent in the city, with the birds congregating around food and garbage.
They had become such an issue that Community Safety Officers had to resort to firing pellets at them recently. This was something city officials had previously said they wanted to get away from doing, for safety reasons.
Fire Chief Lindsay Holm told council Monday ravens are a protected species and the city is not allowed to kill them.
As well, Holm pointed out that if CSOs did try to dispatch ravens, there was also a liability issue with discharging firearms in city limits.
Mayor Ryan Bater also pointed out there was a spiritual significance to ravens among First Nations.
While the challenges in dealing with ravens were discussed, council didn’t delve further into alternatives.
