It’s hard to predict exactly how young children will get along with animals. Some are scared of them, others will handle them in a way that’s both enthusiastic and rough, and still others will find a way to form actual friendships with them.
While these animal friendships can have incredibly wholesome results, one case from Washington state illustrates that they can sometimes come with drawbacks.
Back in 2015, Gabi Mann became known for the appreciative gift collections from the crows
As the BBC reported, this relationship began by accident when a chicken nugget rolled off her lap when Mann was four. A crow ate it and others started actively seeking her out for more food.
As the years went by, Mann, eight, and her brother would share their packed lunches with them while standing at the bus stop.
By 2013, she would make a morning routine for them
This would bring even more crows to their house, who would gather on telephone lines and caw in anticipation of the freshwater, peanuts, and dog food.
A mother’s compassion
Gabi’s mom, Lisa, said she hadn’t minded that the lunches she packed were split with the crows, nor had she particularly noticed the crows before Gabi started feeding them.
As she said, “I like that they love the animals and are willing to share.”
The birds found their own way of showing Gabi their appreciation
This took the form of small, shiny objects that the crows would take in their beaks and bring to her, including a Lego piece, nuts, bolts, buttons, beads, and other items.
Gabi started keeping these little treasures in a bead storage case
Among the most precious of this collection, however, are a piece of a metal bracelet that says “best” on it and a pearl-colored heart.
“It’s showing me how much they love me.”
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The crows also once proved helpful to Lisa during her efforts to photograph and chart their behavior.
She had apparently lost her lens cap in a nearby alley only to find it on the backyard birdbath. When she checked the recording on the birdcam she had set up, she confirmed that a crow had indeed returned it to her.
As she said, “You can see it bringing it into the yard. Walks it to the birdbath and actually spends time rinsing this lens cap.”
The neighbors beg to differ
As The Seattle Times reported, their neighbors on either side jointly filed a lawsuit against the Manns that sought $200,000 in damages.
The neighbors sued for emotional distress and loss of enjoyment of property
The plaintiffs claimed that the Manns’ feeding practices attracted up to 100 crows at a time, as well as rats that they asserted they had never seen on their properties before the feeding began.
A settlement was reached
While the specific restrictions and the reason for this period of time were also unspecified, the attorney for the plaintiffs, Anna Johnsen, said they were mostly outlined in a 2015 court order against the Manns.
The Manns had to pay the plaintiffs an undisclosed sum and restrict their crow-feeding habits for eight years.
The family is prohibited from feeding the animals over four ounces of food daily
They’re also restricted from scaring away the birds’ natural predators by yelling or using “pots, pans and other instrumentality.”