The cleaning crows of Sweden

A Swedish initiative has rolled out a novel pilot program in the City of Södertälje to rid the streets of cigarette butts. Corvid Cleaning is training New Caledonian crows to pick up the butts in exchange for morsels of food. Crows have long been known for their intelligence and ability to learn certain behaviours. The pilot program will also monitor crow health for effects associated with picking up litter. According to the Keep Sweden Tidy Foundation, 62% of all litter in Swedish streets are cigarette butts. If crows could participate in local cleaning efforts, it offers a new route for reducing cleaning costs in municipalities.

Photo by Scott Hemenway from Getty Images/Canva

Topic

CRC Comments