Is It Illegal to Befriend a Crow? The 2026 Legal Guide

Befriending a crow is not illegal in the United States if you stick to non-invasive interaction, but the law draws real lines around feeding, possession, and handling that most people have no idea exist. Cross those lines, and you are looking at a federal wildlife violation.

Crows are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, one of the oldest and most powerful federal wildlife laws in the country. Most people assume that law is only about killing birds. It covers a lot more than that.

This guide breaks down exactly what the MBTA says, which specific crow interactions are legal, which ones are not, how state laws add another layer, and what the actual penalties look like if you cross the line.

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Is It Illegal to Befriend a Crow?

Befriending a crow, in the casual sense of watching it, talking to it, and building familiarity through regular presence, is not illegal under U.S. federal law. No statute prohibits a person from developing a relationship with a wild crow that is entirely on the bird’s terms.

The legal complexity starts when “befriending” involves actions that the law specifically regulates. Feeding, handling, confining, or conditioning a wild crow to depend on humans can trigger provisions of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA), depending on the circumstances and the outcome for the bird.

The distinction that matters legally is between passive interaction and active intervention. Sitting in your yard while a crow visits is passive. Trapping a crow to tame it is not. Leaving food out occasionally is different from building a dependency that causes the bird to lose its ability to survive in the wild.

Quick Facts:

• Federal law prohibition on “befriending” as a concept: None
• MBTA prohibited acts that can arise from crow interaction: Take, possess, pursue, harass
• Feeding wild crows: Generally legal; some exceptions apply
• Handling wild crows: Generally not legal without a permit
• Keeping a crow as a pet: Illegal under federal law without a specific permit
• State laws: Add additional layers in some jurisdictions

Most people who want to befriend a crow are doing something entirely legal. The ones who run into trouble are the ones who take it further than observation and casual feeding.

Is It Legal to Befriend a Crow?

Befriending a crow is legal when it involves observation, passive interaction, and occasional feeding that does not compromise the bird’s wild behavior. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) does not prohibit casual positive human-crow relationships at the level most people mean when they use that term.

The legal permission here is defined by what you are not doing. You are not capturing the bird. You are not preventing it from leaving. You are not conditioning it so heavily that it loses its ability to function as a wild animal. You are not profiting from its presence or its products.

Crows that voluntarily return to a person’s yard because food is available are exercising their own choice. That is biologically no different from crows visiting a compost pile or a landfill. The law is not designed to stop a wild bird from choosing to spend time near a person who interests them.

Legally permissible crow interactions:

• Watching crows from a distance or from your property
• Speaking or making sounds near crows that do not cause them distress
• Offering appropriate food in a manner consistent with normal bird feeding
• Taking photographs of wild crows
• Placing objects in a location where crows can interact with them voluntarily
• Enjoying repeat visits from a crow that has learned your routine

Legally problematic crow interactions:

• Capturing or restraining a crow without a permit
• Keeping a crow indoors or in an enclosure
• Conditioning a crow to the point of dependency that harms its survival
• Harassing a crow intentionally to force interaction
• Taking crow feathers, eggs, or nests

Are Crows Protected Birds Under Federal Law?

American crows are federally protected birds under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. This is one of the most important legal facts any crow enthusiast needs to know, and it applies in all 50 states without exception.

The MBTA was enacted in 1918 and implements four international treaties with Canada, Mexico, Japan, and Russia. The law protects nearly all native migratory bird species, including the American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) and the fish crow (Corvus ossifragus). The protection covers the birds themselves, their eggs, their nests, and their feathers.

The federal protection for crows runs parallel to any state protection. States can add protections on top of the MBTA, but they cannot remove federal protection from a species covered by the treaty. A state that opens a crow hunting season does so under a specific depredation framework, not by removing MBTA coverage.

MBTA protection scope for crows:

The protection is real, it is federal, and it applies to every crow you encounter in the wild in the United States.

Key Takeaway: American crows are fully protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. That protection covers the birds, their eggs, their nests, and their feathers, and it applies in every state regardless of any local or state rules to the contrary.

The Migratory Bird Treaty Act and Crows

The Migratory Bird Treaty Act, codified at 16 U.S.C. Section 703 et seq., is the primary federal law governing all interactions with wild crows in the United States. Understanding what it actually prohibits is essential for anyone who wants to interact with crows legally.

Section 703 of the MBTA prohibits any person from pursuing, hunting, taking, capturing, killing, attempting to take or capture or kill, possessing, offering for sale, selling, offering to purchase, purchasing, delivering for shipment, shipping, causing to be shipped, transporting, causing to be transported, carrying, or causing to be carried any migratory bird, part, nest, or egg of any such bird included in the terms of the international conventions, except as permitted by regulations.

That is a long list. The core concepts that matter for crow interaction are: take, possess, pursue, and harass. “Take” means to pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect. “Possess” means to physically hold or control. “Pursue” means active chasing or following. “Harass” means actions that disturb or disrupt normal behavior.

How MBTA key terms apply to crow interaction:

The 2021 MBTA amendment, formalized through the Migratory Bird Treaty Reform Act of 2020 (signed into law December 2020, effective 2021), clarified that the MBTA’s criminal take provision applies to intentional take only. Accidental or incidental take of migratory birds is no longer criminally prosecutable under the amended law, though civil enforcement remains possible.

What Crow Interactions Are Legal Under the MBTA?

Under the MBTA, interactions with wild crows that do not involve take, possession, harassment, or pursuit are generally legal. The statute is not designed to criminalize the natural relationship between humans and wild birds that visit human environments.

The clearest legal crow interactions are those where the crow retains complete freedom and agency. If a crow chooses to approach you, land near you, accept food you have placed on a surface, or return to your property repeatedly, none of that constitutes a prohibited act under the MBTA. The crow is acting as a free wild animal. You are not taking it, possessing it, or pursuing it.

The line becomes more difficult when the interaction involves any element of control or dependency. A crow that has been fed to the point where it cannot find food independently, that has lost its fear of humans entirely due to intensive habituation, or that shows signs of physical dependency on a single feeder is in a gray zone from a wildlife welfare standpoint. Federal enforcement would be unlikely in most of those cases, but the spirit of the law and wildlife agency guidance push against creating that kind of dependency.

MBTA-permissible crow interactions:

• Casual feeding with appropriate bird-safe food
• Photographing or filming crows
• Setting up bird feeders or food stations that crows can access
• Watching and observing crow behavior at close range if the bird is comfortable
• Making sounds or calls that do not cause the crow distress or cause it to flee its nest
• Leaving objects for crows to investigate voluntarily

MBTA-prohibited crow interactions:

• Trapping or netting a crow
• Clipping a crow’s wings to prevent flight
• Keeping a crow in any enclosure without a federal permit
• Collecting crow feathers found on the ground (possession prohibition)
• Destroying an active crow nest
• Selling or trading any crow or crow products

Is It Illegal to Feed Crows?

Feeding wild crows is generally legal in the United States. No provision of the MBTA prohibits offering food to wild migratory birds, and no federal regulation specifically bans crow feeding for private individuals.

Feeding wild birds, including crows, is one of the most common wildlife interactions in the country. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service does not prohibit this practice. Bird feeding is considered a form of wildlife appreciation rather than prohibited take, pursuit, or possession under the MBTA framework.

The legal exceptions to crow feeding involve specific local ordinances and state or municipal rules that restrict the feeding of certain wildlife. Some cities and counties have adopted nuisance wildlife ordinances that prohibit intentional feeding of crows, ravens, or corvids when those birds are causing property damage or public health concerns. Those ordinances operate at the local level, not the federal level, and vary significantly by municipality.

When crow feeding can create legal issues:

• City or county ordinances that specifically prohibit corvid feeding
• Feeding crows in a manner that attracts large congregations constituting a public nuisance
• Using feeding to lure crows for capture, which converts legal feeding into illegal take
• Feeding crows in national parks or wildlife refuges where specific feeding rules apply
• State rules that restrict wildlife baiting in certain contexts

Quick Facts on crow feeding legality:

• Federal prohibition on crow feeding: None
• MBTA section that bans feeding: None specifically
• Local ordinance bans: Exist in some municipalities; check your city code
• National park rules: Feeding wildlife is prohibited in most National Park Service units
• Wildlife dependency concern: Legal gray area; no specific statute, but USFWS discourages heavy dependency feeding

Is It Illegal to Attract Crows or Offer Them Gifts?

Attracting crows to your property and leaving objects for them to investigate is not illegal under federal law. Crows are well-documented for their intelligence and curiosity about shiny or novel objects, and people who leave items out for crows to explore are engaging in a form of passive interaction that does not violate the MBTA.

The MBTA does not prohibit attracting wildlife to your property for observation purposes. “Attracting” a crow through food, sound, or curiosity objects does not constitute take, possess, pursue, or harass under the statute unless those actions are a precursor to capture or other prohibited acts.

The gift-giving phenomenon, where crows bring small objects to people who regularly feed them, has been documented by researchers at institutions including the University of Washington. This behavior occurs when a crow voluntarily places an object near a person. The crow is acting freely. No law prohibits a crow from doing this, and no law prohibits a person from accepting or keeping a small object a crow leaves.

Legal status of common crow attraction methods:

The one situation where attraction becomes problematic is if the attraction is a step in a plan to capture or confine the crow. Intent matters in MBTA enforcement.

Key Takeaway: Feeding crows, attracting them with objects, and accepting gifts they leave are all legal under federal law. The line is crossed when any of those actions are used to set up capture, confinement, or possession of the bird.

Is It Illegal to Touch a Crow?

Touching a wild crow without a federal permit is technically a prohibited act under the MBTA because physical contact with a wild migratory bird constitutes “take” under the statute’s definition. Capturing, holding, or physically handling a crow falls within the prohibited category of “take” under 16 U.S.C. Section 703.

That said, the practical enforcement reality is more nuanced. Wildlife officers are not patrolling neighborhoods looking for people who briefly touched a crow that landed on their hand voluntarily. The MBTA’s take prohibition is focused on purposeful capture, handling for possession, or handling that results in harm to the bird.

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The situation most people wonder about is a crow that lands on their arm or hand voluntarily. The bird has exercised its own choice to make contact. Wildlife law is not designed to criminalize a wild bird’s voluntary behavior. However, if you then close your hand around the bird, restrain it, or prevent it from leaving, that changes the legal analysis significantly toward prohibited take and possession.

Physical contact scenarios and their legal analysis:

The safest legal position is to let crows make the contact on their terms. Reaching for them crosses from observation into territory the MBTA regulates.

Can You Train a Wild Crow Legally?

Training a wild crow through operant conditioning, such as consistently rewarding it with food when it arrives so it learns to associate your presence with a reward, is not explicitly illegal under federal law as long as the crow remains free and wild throughout the process.

The MBTA prohibits take, possession, and pursuit. It does not prohibit feeding behavior that results in a crow becoming comfortable with human presence or learning to anticipate rewards. Wild animals condition themselves to human patterns all the time without any legal prohibition. Crows that learn when a school lets out so they can scavenge lunch scraps are doing exactly that.

Where crow training crosses legal lines is when it involves confinement, restraint, deprivation, or any technique that requires physically controlling the bird. A crow trainer who needs to hold the bird to put it through behaviors has engaged in prohibited take and possession. A person who builds a trained response by rewarding free-flying behavior has not.

Legal crow conditioning versus illegal crow training:

• Legal: Conditioning a free crow to approach for food through consistent reward
• Legal: Teaching a free crow to associate a specific call or sound with food availability
• Legal: Building trust over time so a crow is comfortable landing near you
• Illegal: Physically restraining a crow to teach it a behavior
• Illegal: Confining a crow in any space to condition responses
• Illegal: Using aversive techniques that cause pain or distress to a protected bird

Think of it this way: if the crow can leave whenever it wants, and it stays because it wants to, you are on solid legal ground. The moment you need the crow to stay, you have a problem.

Is It Legal to Keep a Crow as a Pet?

Keeping a crow as a pet is illegal under federal law. The MBTA prohibits the possession of any migratory bird without a federal permit, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service does not issue pet permits for crows or other native migratory birds.

This is one of the clearest and least ambiguous rules in U.S. wildlife law. An American crow living in your home as a pet is a possession violation under 16 U.S.C. Section 703 regardless of how the crow came to be there. Whether you found it, bought it, or someone gave it to you, possession without a federal permit is illegal.

The permits that do allow crow possession are issued for specific, limited purposes: scientific research, education at qualified institutions, and wildlife rehabilitation with the goal of release. None of those permit categories cover private pet ownership. A wildlife rehabilitator with a federal permit can temporarily house a crow. A private person wanting a crow as a companion animal cannot obtain a permit for that purpose.

Crow possession permit types and who qualifies:

The law makes no exception for people who have bonded with a crow, raised it from a chick, or believe the bird cannot survive in the wild. The permit pathway for pet-like crow possession does not exist in the federal system.

Key Takeaway: Keeping a crow as a pet is a federal crime under the MBTA. No private pet permit exists for native migratory birds like the American crow, and possession without one of the narrow scientific, educational, or rehabilitation permits is illegal regardless of the circumstances.

Can You Own a Crow in the US?

You cannot legally own an American crow or a fish crow in the United States as a private individual. Ownership of native migratory birds is prohibited under the MBTA for all purposes except those covered by a specific federal permit, and no federal permit category covers private ownership of a crow.

The term “own” is legally meaningless in the context of wild migratory birds in the United States. Wild birds are not property under U.S. law. They belong to the public trust, managed by the federal government through treaties and the MBTA framework. A person cannot purchase, possess, or transfer ownership of a wild crow because wild birds are not objects of private property law.

This does not mean you cannot have a bird in your home legally. Non-native species are treated differently. Certain parrots, canaries, finches, and other non-native birds can be legally purchased, owned, and kept as pets because they are not covered by the MBTA. Captive-bred crow species from other countries also fall into a different regulatory category, though their import is governed by separate wildlife trade laws.

Native versus non-native crow ownership:

• American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos): Cannot be owned; MBTA protected
• Fish crow (Corvus ossifragus): Cannot be owned; MBTA protected
• Carrion crow (Corvus corone, European species): Not native; different regulatory framework
• Captive-bred non-native corvids: May be legally purchased from licensed breeders; subject to import and state rules

If you want a corvid companion legally, the path is through captive-bred non-native species, not through native American crows.

Can You Keep a Crow You Found Injured?

You cannot legally keep a crow you found injured as a private individual without a wildlife rehabilitation permit. Finding an injured crow does not create a legal right to possess it. Federal law requires that injured migratory birds be transferred to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator as soon as practicable.

The MBTA’s possession prohibition does not have an injury exception for private individuals. Finding an injured crow and keeping it in your home while it recovers, even with good intentions, is a possession violation under 16 U.S.C. Section 703. The bird needs to go to someone with a USFWS wildlife rehabilitation permit.

The practical approach: if you find an injured crow, the legal path is to contact your state’s fish and wildlife agency, a licensed wildlife rehabilitator in your area, or a wildlife rescue organization. Many areas have wildlife hotlines or resources specifically for injured bird situations. A rehabilitator can lawfully take possession, provide care, and release the bird when it is recovered.

What to do legally if you find an injured crow:

• Contact your state fish and wildlife agency for guidance
• Locate a USFWS-permitted wildlife rehabilitator in your area
• Keep the bird contained in a dark, quiet box for transport if it cannot fly
• Transport it to the rehabilitator as quickly as possible
• Do not attempt to feed it or treat it yourself; improper care can cause additional harm

Keeping an injured crow for days or weeks, even while seeking help, creates growing legal exposure the longer the possession continues. Act quickly and get the bird to a licensed rehabilitator.

Crow Possession Laws

Crow possession laws are set primarily at the federal level through the MBTA, but state laws add a second layer of regulation that can impose additional requirements or penalties on top of federal rules. The MBTA’s possession prohibition applies everywhere in the United States.

Under federal law, a person found in possession of a live crow, a dead crow, crow feathers, crow eggs, or an active crow nest without the appropriate USFWS permit is in violation of 16 U.S.C. Section 703. This applies regardless of how the bird or parts came into possession. Buying a crow feather at a craft fair is just as much a possession violation as trapping the bird yourself. The origin of the item does not change the legal status.

State possession laws vary. Some states have their own migratory bird protection statutes that mirror or extend the MBTA. California’s Fish and Game Code, for example, provides state-level protections for migratory birds that run alongside federal protections. A crow possession violation in California can result in both federal MBTA charges and state Fish and Game Code charges, with penalties from both systems.

Crow possession law summary:

One of the most common possession violations people do not realize is keeping a crow feather they found on the ground. It was not taken from a living bird. It is still illegal to possess under the MBTA.

Crow Feeding Laws by State

Crow feeding laws at the state level vary from no specific restrictions to municipal ordinances that actively prohibit feeding corvids in specific contexts. The federal MBTA does not ban crow feeding, so state and local rules become the primary source of any restrictions.

Most states have no statewide law that prohibits feeding wild crows. Bird feeding is widely understood as a legal, beneficial wildlife activity across the United States. However, a significant number of cities and counties have passed nuisance wildlife ordinances that can apply to crow feeding when it creates public health or property damage issues.

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California has local ordinances in some jurisdictions that address corvid feeding. Parts of Southern California with large crow roost populations have seen municipal discussions about restricting crow feeding to manage large congregations near residential areas. Florida municipalities with large corvid populations have similar discussions. These are local, not statewide, rules.

State crow feeding framework overview:

Before feeding crows, check your city or county’s municipal code for any wildlife feeding ordinances that might apply in your specific area.

Nuisance Crow Laws and Hunting Seasons

Crows occupy a unique legal position in some states because they can be treated as both protected migratory birds under the MBTA and as huntable species under specific federal depredation frameworks. This dual status is one of the most misunderstood aspects of crow law.

The USFWS has issued a depredation order under 50 CFR Part 21.43 that allows certain types of lethal crow control when crows are causing serious damage to agricultural crops, other birds, livestock feed, or public health. The depredation order does not apply to casual backyard situations. It applies to documented agricultural or public health damage scenarios and has specific geographic and temporal restrictions.

In addition to the depredation order, many states have a crow hunting season. States including Virginia, Pennsylvania, Kansas, Missouri, and others allow crow hunting during designated seasons with appropriate state licenses. These hunting seasons operate under the federal depredation framework, not as an exemption from the MBTA. A hunter in season with a valid license is operating within a federally authorized framework. A person shooting crows outside the season or conditions of the depredation order is violating the MBTA.

Crow depredation order key facts (50 CFR Part 21.43):

• Who can take crows under this order: State or federal wildlife agency personnel, and certain authorized persons in specific contexts
• When lethal control is authorized: When crows are causing serious agricultural, livestock, or public health damage
• Geographic coverage: Specific geographic areas outlined in the regulation
• Season rules: Still subject to state hunting season restrictions in many contexts
• What is not covered: Casual killing of crows in backyards, neighborhoods, or without documented damage

If you are dealing with nuisance crows on your property, lethal control without going through the proper channels is an MBTA violation. Non-lethal deterrents are the legally safe approach for most property owners.

Penalties for MBTA Violations Involving Crows

Penalties for MBTA violations are real, enforced, and can range from modest civil fines to significant federal criminal charges depending on the nature and intent of the violation. The 2021 MBTA amendment changed part of the penalty framework by limiting criminal prosecution to intentional violations, but the penalties for intentional acts remain substantial.

Under 16 U.S.C. Section 707, the MBTA establishes two tiers of criminal violation. A misdemeanor violation covers any violation of the Act or its implementing regulations and carries a penalty of up to six months in prison, a fine of up to $15,000, or both. A felony violation applies to any knowing violation committed for commercial purposes or involving a firearm or poison and carries up to two years in prison and fines up to $250,000 for individuals.

Civil penalties under the MBTA are separate from criminal charges. The USFWS can assess civil penalties for incidental take violations under the 2021 framework. Civil penalty amounts depend on the severity of the violation and the circumstances but can reach significant amounts for commercial or large-scale violations.

MBTA penalty framework for crow violations:

In practice, USFWS enforcement focuses on commercial violations, large-scale take, and cases involving significant harm to protected species populations. A person who briefly handled an injured crow and immediately took it to a rehabilitator is not the enforcement priority. A person running an illegal operation trading in protected birds is.

Key Takeaway: MBTA violations involving crows range from civil penalties for incidental take to federal felony charges for commercial violations, with misdemeanor criminal charges for intentional personal-use violations. The 2021 amendment limited criminal prosecution to intentional acts, but intentional violations still carry up to six months in prison and $15,000 in fines at the misdemeanor level.

State Laws on Crows

State laws on crows operate alongside the MBTA rather than replacing it. Every state’s fish and wildlife agency has authority to regulate wildlife within its borders, and many states have enacted their own bird protection statutes that parallel or extend federal protections.

Most states treat crows as fully protected migratory birds consistent with the MBTA. Some states have open hunting seasons for crows that operate within the federal depredation framework. A handful of states have unique provisions, particularly around crow management in agricultural contexts.

California’s Fish and Game Code provides state-level protection for migratory birds that supplements MBTA protections. A crow violation in California can result in charges under both federal and state law. The CDFW enforces state wildlife law independently from USFWS, meaning two separate agencies can pursue penalties for the same conduct.

State-specific crow law highlights:

Knowing your state’s specific framework matters. In states with crow hunting seasons, a licensed hunter in season is acting legally. In states with no hunting season, lethal control is only permitted through the depredation order process.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it illegal to befriend a wild crow in the United States?

No, befriending a wild crow through passive interaction, observation, and casual feeding is not illegal under U.S. federal law.
The Migratory Bird Treaty Act prohibits specific acts like take, possession, and harassment, but does not prohibit a wild crow from choosing to spend time near a person.
The line becomes legal trouble when befriending involves capturing, confining, or preventing the crow from acting as a free wild animal.
Feeding a crow that visits your yard voluntarily is the legal core of most “befriending” relationships and is permitted under federal law.

Does the Migratory Bird Treaty Act apply to everyday crow feeding?

The MBTA does not prohibit feeding wild crows, and no federal regulation specifically bans bird feeding for private individuals.
The Act’s prohibited acts are take, possess, pursue, and harass, and routine bird feeding does not trigger any of those provisions.
Local city or county ordinances in some areas may restrict crow feeding if it creates a nuisance, but those are local rules, not federal law.
Feeding crows in national parks or wildlife refuges is a different matter because wildlife feeding is generally prohibited in those managed areas.

Can you legally keep a crow you found injured?

No, keeping an injured crow without a wildlife rehabilitation permit is a federal MBTA possession violation.
Finding an injured crow creates a legal obligation to transfer it to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator as quickly as possible, not a right to keep it.
The injury exception that many people assume exists does not appear in the MBTA or its implementing regulations for private individuals.
Contact your state fish and wildlife agency or a local licensed rehabilitator immediately if you find an injured crow.

What are the penalties for violating MBTA crow protections?

Intentional MBTA violations carry misdemeanor criminal penalties of up to six months in prison and fines up to $15,000 under 16 U.S.C. Section 707.
Commercial violations or those involving weapons are federal felonies carrying up to two years in prison and fines up to $250,000.
The 2021 MBTA amendment limited criminal prosecution to intentional violations; accidental take is subject to civil penalties rather than criminal charges.
State wildlife code violations can add separate state-level fines and penalties on top of any federal consequences.

Are there states where crows have fewer legal protections?

No state can remove MBTA protections from crows, so the federal floor of protection applies everywhere in the United States.
Some states have open crow hunting seasons authorized under the federal depredation order framework, which allows licensed hunting during designated seasons.
States with crow hunting seasons include Virginia, Pennsylvania, Kansas, and Missouri, among others.
A licensed crow hunter in season is operating within a federally authorized framework; outside of that framework, MBTA protections apply equally in all 50 states.

Crow law is genuinely layered, and most people who want to interact with these birds are doing nothing remotely illegal. The federal rules exist to protect wild populations, not to stop someone from enjoying the company of a curious bird in their backyard.

Bookmark this guide if you have crows in your life or are thinking about encouraging them to visit. Wildlife law around birds changes with agency rulemaking, and staying current with the federal and state frameworks is the best way to keep your crow relationship entirely on the right side of the law.

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