Forget Paddington bear luring the ravens away with his marmalade sandwiches, the Tower of London's guardians are facing a much greater threat with potentially disastrous consequences for the building's integrity and even the British kingdom.
Legend has it that should the ravens ever leave the tower will fall down, taking the rule of law with it. So serious is this that the birds are protected by Royal decree. Understandably officials are leaving nothing to chance and although there have not yet been any confirmed cases of bird-flu in Britain, the birds have been moved inside into specially built aviaries.
"Although we don't like having to bring the Tower ravens inside, we believe it is the safest thing to do for their own protection, given the speed that the virus is moving across Europe," said Yeoman raven master, Derrick Coyle.
"We are taking advice on the vaccinations against avian flu, and in the meantime, we will continue to give our six ravens as much care and attention as they need."
Six birds don't sound like an awful lot to guard the crown jewels and support a large stone structure, not to mention uphold the entire fabric of British rule. No wonder precautions are being taken.
The important question is, does it still count if the birds are inside?
It would seem so. Over the years the rules have been stretched with impunity. For example, despite supposedly needing six resident ravens to keep the tower aloft the numbers dwindled to one during the Blitz with no apparent consequences. And this at a time when all London buildings, let alone the kingdom, were vulnerable to say the least.
So next time you're crossing Tower Bridge don't panic if you can't see one of the familiar black birds guarding the building which dates back to the time of William the Conqueror. The ravens are most likely safely tucked up inside, possibly guarding their tower via CCTV.
