Kingdom in safe claws as Tower swells raven roost
WHEN guarding against a centuriesold prophecy that warned of the fall of the kingdom, it is surely provident not to take any chances.
The Tower of London, therefore, is to launch a breeding scheme for its ravens to ensure numbers never die out.
Charles II is said have insisted that six ravens remained in the fortress, believing that “the kingdom will fall” and the Tower would crumble if they chose to leave.
As it stands, the Tower is home to seven ravens, but Historic Royal Palaces is now set to launch a breeding programme to ensure “the prophecy will never come to pass”.
While it may be unlikely that the ravens’ departure would lead to catastrophe, the tower will build its own breeding aviary to protect its avian guardians.
There are fears surrounding the ravens resident at the tower – Jubilee, Harris, Gripp, Rocky, Erin, Poppy and Merlina – as the birds’ breeding prospects have been cast into doubt in recent years.
In an effort to avert the “raven crisis”, which has seen the number of birds steadily decline in the UK, Historic Royal Palaces has been granted planning permission by Tower Hamlets Council for the aviary.
Faced with a shortage of legal breeders, the tourist attraction hopes to build the enclosure next year. It would be 40ft long, 16ft wide and 11ft high and located in the moat next to the Salt Tower.
In a report submitted to the council, Historic Royal Palaces warned it was becoming “increasingly difficult” to source the birds because “there are very few legal captive raven breeders in the UK”.
The report says: “The Tower of London comes under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, which states clearly that we should not resupply ... from birds in the wild as done in years
gone by. The Tower of London will use this opportunity as an educational tool showing the brilliance of nature and nurture.”
The legend is thought to have originated after John Flamsteed, the first astronomer royal, complained to King Charles II that the birds were interfering with his observations.
The King therefore ordered their destruction only to be told that if the ravens left the Tower, the White Tower would fall and a great disaster befall the kingdom. The King swiftly changed his mind and decreed that at least six ravens should be kept at the Tower at all times to prevent disaster.
Ravens were once common in Britain, but after being decimated by
Victorian gamekeepers there are only 7,400 protected breeding pairs left.
A recent petition against new Government powers to allow farmers across Dorset to legally cull ravens has gained traction, as the birds were blamed for the slaughter of hundreds of lambs and piglets.
The birds first gained notoriety as “spotters” for enemy planes during the Blitz, and Winston Churchill made sure their flock was increased from just a single raven guard at the Tower to a minimum of six afterwards.
However, they are now more commonly known for their intelligence and ability to mimic sounds, play games and solve problems.
The Tower’s breeding programme will be overseen by Chris Skaife, the ravenmaster, who gives his charges a daily feed of 170g of raw meat – including mice, chicks, rats and, as a treat, blood-soaked biscuits.