Mike W. Bryant
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Feb 15/02) - A humanitarian effort wasn't enough to save an injured raven.

Sporting a broken wing, the black-feathered bird was a familiar sight in the alley behind the Tree of Peace and the Gold Range in recent weeks.

"We didn't realize it was hurt," said the Tree of Peace alcohol and drug program manager Diane Hrstic.

"Some of them would just bounce around here waiting for hand-outs.

"They get quite tame from all the food and garbage at the Gold Range and the Diner."

Assistant director of the Tree of Peace, Joe LeMouel also noticed the raven hanging around back of the centre.

"I thought it might've been eyeing the territory to build a nest," said LeMouel.

After a few days, however, staff concluded that the bird was injured and on Wednesday called Renewable Resources, Wildlife, and Economic Development (RWED) to investigate.

After a brief chase upstairs and under cars, the raven was caught in a net by wildlife officer Roger Fraser.

Fraser and other onlookers hoped the bird could be healed.

"Its wing was too damaged," said Fraser. "We didn't want it to suffer, so we had to destroy it."