# Darwin crows only die under trucks

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Joke
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-darwin-crows-only-hit-by-trucks
- Themes: humour, Australia, science, animals
- Life situations: needing a laugh, research

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

On the Darwin highway the only roadkill noticed is crows — and only under trucks and buses, never sedans. The rumour checks out as true.

## The story, as told by Ajahn Brahm (verbatim captions)

Northern Territory in Darwin, they're investigating a very weird phenomena because on the big highway, you know, going up to Darwin, they noticed the only road kill they saw on there was actually crows, the crows being killed, they were only killed by by trucks and buses, never by sedans. They look there and so and that was a rumor, the myth and I actually checked that it was absolutely true weird but the crows would only be wiped out by the truc

## Teaching point

Some urban legends survive because the data agrees.

## Reflection (in the spirit of Ajahn Brahm's talk)

On the Darwin highway, the story goes, crows are only ever killed by trucks, never cars. Researchers found the lookout crow could call 'car, car' but had no word for truck. Ajahn Brahm laughs with the room, then asks: what if that joy lasted all the time? Laughter is close to love. Enjoy your relationship with life.

## Source

- [Ultimate Truth and Reality | Ajahn Brahm | 1 Dec 2017](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTtMR-KEHXw) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 25:26 to 26:03: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTtMR-KEHXw&t=1526s