Travelling down the YukonB次元官网网址檚 Dempster Highway in mid-December can be seen by some as an often solitary experience.
But for one Quadra Island couple, they had what one may call unique company.
Alex Lavoie and his partner, Jodi Young, were travelling the 740 km highway on Dec. 10 when a raven decided to swoop in and make their acquaintance by flying for more than 45 minutes alongside their vehicle.
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The result was a Youtube video of the bird which has been seen more than 5,000 times since it was uploaded on Dec. 13. Lavoie says that while the video was only 23 minutes long, the encounter lasted more than 45.
B次元官网网址淲e were looking for a new experience,B次元官网网址 says Lavoie, who was travelling south following a six-month stint in White Plans, YT. B次元官网网址淲e travelled up north to gain that type of experience.B次元官网网址
As the bird swooped alongside, there are several moments where it ducked out of view B次元官网网址 only to come back into the picture. Driving along the empty highway, Lavoie admits there were some tense moments.
B次元官网网址淚 was driving about 80 km/h when the raven initially swooped down,B次元官网网址 said Lavoie. B次元官网网址淚 was definitely quite nervous at first when it went out of sight. After a while I felt more comfortable with it being close.B次元官网网址
Ravens are often seen as spiritual animals, with the birds symbolizing intelligence, opportunity and guidance. It certainly felt that way to LavoieB次元官网网址檚 girlfriend, as at one point in the video, Young can be heard to say the bird was leading them toward their destination.
B次元官网网址淚 think Ravens are extremely intelligent animals,B次元官网网址 said Lavoie. B次元官网网址淚 believe it could have been catching the draft in an effort to save energy. Food sources are limited in the winter and saving precious energy would have been a reason to tag along.B次元官网网址
Toward the end of the video, Lavoie gets out and goes near the animal with food. With his belongings packed tight in his car, the only thing he had available was cat treats.
B次元官网网址淚 wanted to stop to see how comfortable it was with people,B次元官网网址 said Lavoie. B次元官网网址淎fter feeding it some Temptations cat treats we drove off. It caught up again and followed for another 20-plus minutes.B次元官网网址
Uploading the video to YouTube, he thought mainly it was only going to be for friends and family B次元官网网址 Lavoie certainly did not expect the video to gain the traffic it indeed has.
B次元官网网址淎 friend shared the video and it just blew up from there,B次元官网网址 Lavoie said.
Lavoie and Young are travelling around for the holidays. Flying out from Whitehorse to Winnipeg to see family, and eventually heading to the Galapagos Islands next.
Still, the encounter with the raven is something heB次元官网网址檒l never forget.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e been lucky enough to experience many close encounters with wildlife,B次元官网网址 Lavoie said. B次元官网网址淏ut this one is in the books for sure.B次元官网网址
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