Tower of London’s Queen raven missing and feared dead – Evening Standard
Charles II is thought to have actually been the very first queen to formally decree that the birds need to be kept at the fortress at all times.
In the Second World War the ravens were utilized as spotters for bombs and aircrafts throughout the Blitz.
When numbers was up to simply a single raven guard, Winston Churchill purchased that the flock– called an “unkindness”– be increased to at least 6.
( Staff became anxious that a few of the seven-strong flock started venturing outdoors castle walls to forage throughout lockdown/ Shutterstock )In 2018 the Tower launched a raven breeding program after Historic Royal Palaces warned it was becoming “increasingly difficult” to source the birds and there were “very few legal captive raven breeders in the UK”.
Mr Skaife said he would be taking a while to mourn Merlina..
” I understand numerous of you lovely folk will be saddened by this news,” Mr Skaife said in a declaration on social media.
A spokesman for the Tower stated: “Our much-loved raven Merlina has not been seen at the Tower for numerous weeks, and her ongoing lack suggests to us that she may have regretfully died.
There are currently seven ravens in house who are looked after by the Ravenmaster Christopher Skaife.
( Ravenmaster Chris Skaife holding one of the first ravens to be born at the Tower in 30 years./ PA )
” None more than me. Please excuse my absence for a few days.”.
Throughout the first lockdown the traveler attraction, which normally welcomed more than 2 million people each year, was shut and Tower personnel became anxious the birds were venturing outside the castle walls to forage..
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Tower personnel included that they had no immediate plans to change Merlina.
” We now have 7 ravens– one more than the required six, so we dont have any immediate strategies to fill Merlinas job.
” However in time we hope that a brand-new chick from our reproducing program will be up to the formidable difficulty of continuing her legacy.”.
The Tower of Londons well-known “Queen” raven is missing out on and feared dead, staff at the historic fortress stated today.
” Though it isnt uncommon for our ravens to wander outside the walls, free-spirited Merlina has actually formerly constantly gone back to the ravenmaster and his team, with whom she shared an incredibly close bond.
” Merlina was our undeniable ruler of the roost, Queen of the Tower Ravens. She will be considerably missed out on by her fellow ravens, the ravenmaster, and all people in the Tower community.”
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Wild ravens live for 10 to 15 years. However, the Tower of London birds have been understood to live until the age of 40.
” Much-loved” and “free-spirited” Merlina, who signed up with the flock at the Tower in 2007, has not been seen at her house in the 11th Century castle for several weeks.
Legend states that a minimum of 6 ravens need to be kept at the battlements or the kingdom of Britain will fall.