Tower Ravens Caged Over Bird Flu Threat

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When I went to London for the first time in 2001, we went to the Tower of London as all good tourists do, and we saw the ravens there. Don't even trip: they have a yeoman raven keeper. This job made such a huge impression on me that I recorded it in my journal.

I am assuming that it is a government job wherein you wake the ravens up, prepare them breakfast, take them on a walk, look the other way when they make doody and then cover it up with dirt, feed them lunch, feed them tea, feed them dinner, tuck them into bed and sing them to sleep.

I get the symbolism and the myth and romance of it all. That still didn't keep me from thinking it was stupid to have a human's life work devoted to being a raven keeper.

So I noted this article with interest. Especially the part where the guy says he's been planning to put Branwen, Hugine, Munin, Gwyllum, Thor and Baldrick (the ravens) indoors for a while now in anticipation of the bird flu reaching western europe. Can you just feel the excitement welling up in this guy? "Maybe, in 4 months' time, I'll have a change in my shed-jul!"

Ok, I'm being really mean.