From news - oddly enough section

[Guest guest]

Why do humans have to interfere with animal lives ?????

 

Jo

 

 

Crows Culled to Save Tower of London Ravens

 

By Paul Majendie

LONDON (Reuters) - If legend is to be believed, the future of the

British monarchy lies in the hands of a sharp-shooting warder at the

Tower of London.

 

For the six ravens who roam one of Britain's landmark fortresses are

under threat from up to 200 crows who have invaded their royal

domain, spreading disease and stealing food.

So every Sunday at dawn, before the daily tourist invasion begins,

Yeoman Warder Derrick Coyle roams The Tower with his .22 air rifle to

cull the crows.

For the beefeater, it is a weighty responsibility securing a haven

for the ravens. Legend has it that if the ravens leave, The Tower of

London will fall and so will the monarchy.

The 17th century monarch Charles II decreed that there must always be

six ravens in residence.

" Urban crows are on the increase and they are a growing problem for

us, " said a spokeswoman for Historic Royal Palaces, which runs the

Tower of London.

" The ravenmaster has his own culling strategy. He goes out at dawn

and looks for the crows that he knows are ill -- they have matted

feathers and a mangy appearance, " she told Reuters.

Rarely has a collective noun been more appropriate in English -- a

gathering of crows is known as a murder of crows.

The sharpshooter is particularly on the lookout for crows who might

have swallowed rat poison.

The ravens themselves eat like kings -- from chicken hearts bought

each morning by the ravenmaster at London's Smithfields Market to

biscuits soaked in blood.

But life in the lap of avian luxury has apparently not always been so

appealing.

One raven, Grog, spent 21 years at the Tower when he suddenly felt

the need for a change in 1981 -- he was last spotted in the East End

of London outside a pub called the Rose and Punchbowl.

Neither is it a job for life. The Governor of the Tower has been

known to dismiss ravens for " conduct unbecoming. "

In 1986, one miscreant called George was given his marching orders

after developing a taste for TV aerials.

[Guest guest]

Lets hope then that the legend is true and the Ravens leave........

 

The Valley Vegan........heartwerk <heartwork wrote:

Why do humans have to interfere with animal lives ?????JoCrows Culled to Save Tower of London RavensBy Paul Majendie LONDON (Reuters) - If legend is to be believed, the future of the British monarchy lies in the hands of a sharp-shooting warder at the Tower of London. For the six ravens who roam one of Britain's landmark fortresses are under threat from up to 200 crows who have invaded their royal domain, spreading disease and stealing food. So every Sunday at dawn, before the daily tourist invasion begins, Yeoman Warder Derrick Coyle roams The Tower with his .22 air rifle to cull the crows. For the beefeater, it is a weighty responsibility securing a haven for the ravens. Legend has it that if the ravens leave, The Tower of London will fall and so will the monarchy. The 17th century

monarch Charles II decreed that there must always be six ravens in residence. "Urban crows are on the increase and they are a growing problem for us," said a spokeswoman for Historic Royal Palaces, which runs the Tower of London. "The ravenmaster has his own culling strategy. He goes out at dawn and looks for the crows that he knows are ill -- they have matted feathers and a mangy appearance," she told Reuters. Rarely has a collective noun been more appropriate in English -- a gathering of crows is known as a murder of crows. The sharpshooter is particularly on the lookout for crows who might have swallowed rat poison. The ravens themselves eat like kings -- from chicken hearts bought each morning by the ravenmaster at London's Smithfields Market to biscuits soaked in blood. But life in the lap of avian luxury has apparently not always been so appealing. One raven, Grog, spent 21 years at the Tower when he suddenly

felt the need for a change in 1981 -- he was last spotted in the East End of London outside a pub called the Rose and Punchbowl. Neither is it a job for life. The Governor of the Tower has been known to dismiss ravens for "conduct unbecoming." In 1986, one miscreant called George was given his marching orders after developing a taste for TV aerials.

[Guest guest]

Fingers-crossed!

 

Jo

 

 

 

Lets hope then that the legend is true and the Ravens leave........

 

The Valley Vegan........heartwerk <heartwork wrote:

Why do humans have to interfere with animal lives ?????JoCrows Culled to Save Tower of London RavensBy Paul Majendie LONDON (Reuters) - If legend is to be believed, the future of the British monarchy lies in the hands of a sharp-shooting warder at the Tower of London. For the six ravens who roam one of Britain's landmark fortresses are under threat from up to 200 crows who have invaded their royal domain, spreading disease and stealing food. So every Sunday at dawn, before the daily tourist invasion begins, Yeoman Warder Derrick Coyle roams The Tower with his .22 air rifle to cull the crows. For the beefeater, it is a weighty responsibility securing a haven for the ravens. Legend has it that if the ravens leave, The Tower of London will fall and so will the monarchy. The 17th centur y monarch Charles II decreed that there must always be six ravens in residence. "Urban crows are on the increase and they are a growing problem for us," said a spokeswoman for Historic Royal Palaces, which runs the Tower of London. "The ravenmaster has his own culling strategy. He goes out at dawn and looks for the crows that he knows are ill -- they have matted feathers and a mangy appearance," she told Reuters. Rarely has a collective noun been more appropriate in English -- a gathering of crows is known as a murder of crows. The sharpshooter is particularly on the lookout for crows who might have swallowed rat poison. The ravens themselves eat like kings -- from chicken hearts bought each morning by the ravenmaster at London's Smithfields Market to biscuits soaked in blood. But life in the lap of avian luxury has apparently not always been so appealing. One raven, Grog, spent 21 years at the Tower when he s uddenly felt the need for a change in 1981 -- he was last spotted in the East End of London outside a pub called the Rose and Punchbowl. Neither is it a job for life. The Governor of the Tower has been known to dismiss ravens for "conduct unbecoming." In 1986, one miscreant called George was given his marching orders after developing a taste for TV aerials.