Fighting like Crows and Dogs
In Tanzania, our dogs rule the property. There is no
question about that. Ginger and Fred, their actual names, are two lab
retrievers that have lived in Tanzania all their lives, and it's not a fetch (pun intended) to
say that they have been trained to be hunting dogs. With Ginger leading the
way, the two will sniff out anything on the grounds and administer swift
justice to any trespasser. Stray animals (and burglars) are better off avoiding
the property altogether if they value their lives. Cats, snakes, lizards,
ermines, you name it. Any animal without the proper clearance (that is, every one) will
perish on the grounds.
We love the dogs for that extra layer of security. The
guards love the dogs because they can go to sleep at night. If the dogs bark,
well, that means they need to wake up, scan the area, and call in anything
suspicious before they go back to sleep. The dogs are everybody's best friends around
here. That said, the dogs have had issues with crows.
Crows, of course, have the distinct advantage of having
wings, congregating in flocks (actually they are called 'murders', for want of a less sinister term), and having an intelligence that is well above
your average critter, let alone bird. Often they engage the dogs in a funny
game of cat and mouse, or crow and dog, to be more specific. Of course, the
crows are well aware that the ground belongs to the hounds. This is not to say
that they can't heckle them from the palm trees or the wooden beams spanning across
the patio. Their goal, of course, is to secure food, more specifically dog
food, and this is where we witness teamwork at its finest. Many times, I can
swear I hear the crows caw something like, 'I can't believe they fell for that again'.
It works like this. The dogs are fed. Of course, we need to
watch the dogs for a while, otherwise Ginger will flex her muscles and deny
Fred his food, even after she has been poured a generous portion of her own.
You would think this is where dogs would share the wealth and help each other
out, but this is not how Mother Nature works. The dog will never say, 'Oh, this
is your dish, I understand your need for survival, let's work together, etc.'
Far from it. Animals take as much as they can get, now. Animals rarely plan for the long term.
Once we are assured that Fred will get his share, we go back
inside. With the pesky humans out of the picture, the crows move in from the
crowns of the palm trees to take a better look at what's for supper. One crow
will swoop in and position itself near the driveway, taunting the dogs. 'Here I
am! Come and get me!' the crows seem to be saying. The dogs fall for this every
time. There is an intruder on the grounds, and the dogs' primary job is to
remove it, pronto. With Ginger taking the lead, Fred follows in lockstep behind her, unwilling to be denied another opportunity of hunting for game.
With both dogs chasing the decoy, in swoop the other crows
to gorge at the buffet table. Mission accomplished. Even when the dogs return
to their dishes after seeing they've been conned, the crows will get in enough
bites for a healthy pre-dinner snack.
Sometimes, the crows will simply mess with the dogs, just to
make sure Ginger and Fred are getting their exercise. They will dive-bomb to
the ground, the dogs will chase them, and they will soar back up with plenty of
time to spare. I swear I can hear the crows laughing every time the dogs miss.
And they do miss. Every time.
We look at it as two parties of rivals and a surefire way of
preventing both parties from getting sluggish or bored. It's fun to watch…and
does keep the crows at a healthy distance. The cat inside can only watch with
envy.
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