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October 31, 2005

Bats In The Belfry & Lions In The Tower

You've heard of bats in the belfry, but what about heard of lions in the Tower? The Tower of London, that is.

Evidently, the Tower, which is infamous for housing Elizabeth I during her sister Mary's reign and for its bloody executions, once served as the longest continually running zoo. For six centuries (approx. 1204-1835), the Royal Menagerie housed a number of exotic animals, many of which were given to the royal family by foreign nations.

When the menagerie was regularly open to the public in the 1800s, visitors would have their admission fees waived if they brought their pet cat or dog to feed to the lions...

Two lion skulls unearthed at the Tower of London have been dated to Medieval times, shedding light on the lost institution of the "Royal Menagerie".

...

The best preserved lion skull was radiocarbon dated to between AD 1280 and 1385, making it the earliest Medieval big cat known in Britain. The period when it lived covers the reigns of Edward I, II and III

More at: BBC NEWS: Big cats prowled London's tower

Posted by sorsha at October 31, 2005 12:25 AM