Japan crows evade long arm of law

Crows in the Japanese city of Matsue have been caught on CCTV stealing rubber strips off windscreen wipers to build their nests.

"Flocking Crows," from a pair of folding screens of ink, black lacquer, and gold leaf on paper from Japan's mid-17th century Edo period(AP Photo/Paul Macapia) Source: SEATTLE ART MUSEUM

Police in the Japanese city of Matsue were mobilised after numerous complaints by drivers that their windscreen wipers had been damaged, only to discover that local crows were the offenders.

Police deployed 50 officers on the vandalism investigation, and day and night patrols were organised in the affected area, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported on Wednesday.

Footage from CCTV cameras eventually identified the culprits as crows.

The flying vandals had discovered that the rubber strips from the wipers were useful in nest building.

"We can't arrest them," the police said.