If humans had brains relative to the size of ravens, Chris is fond of saying, our heads would be twice as big. In fact, university students visit the Tower to study raven behaviour and cognitive ability, which is thought to be similar to that of chimps or dolphins. Ravens are extremely intelligent animals, with a complicated understanding of past, present, and future. He enjoys caring for them and bonding with them, and he is constantly fascinated by the scope of their inner lives. The best part of the job, Chris insists, is the ravens themselves. A team of three helps him out, covering his off days when he’s not at the Tower. They are out wild during the day, though he keeps an eye on them, and puts them to bed at nightfall.Ĭhris does all the normal duties of a Yeoman Warder, with the extra responsibility of looking after the ravens. Chris’s daily routine starts at first light, when he lets the ravens out, cleans their cages, and prepares their food – a ration of roughly 500 grams of meat a day, mainly chicken and mouse, in addition to whatever they nick off the tourists. The most difficult part of the job is the hours. New open-air cages have recently been erected, at Chris’s insistence. The ravens come from breeders in Somerset, but two are wild – Merlina, from South Wales, and Munin, from North Uist in Scotland.Ĭhris tries to keep them all as wild as possible, giving them free rein around the grounds.

Most are quite young – Munin is the oldest, at 21 years old. He studied under Derrick for five years before taking over the job.Ĭhris now looks after the seven ravens at the Tower (six by Royal Decree and one spare): Harris (Male), Merlina (Female), Munin (Female), Rocky (Male), Gripp (Male), Jubilee (Male), and the sisters Erin and Hugine. Chris was deemed suitable by those most discerning judges. When the previous Ravenmaster, Derrick Coyle, saw that Chris was fascinated with the ravens, he decided to test their chemistry by putting Chris in the cages with them. It’s not an easy job to land – like Chris, you’ll have to be a Yeoman Warder, a position which requires a minimum of 22 years in the military, an exemplary record, and the rank of warrant officer or above.īut the birds themselves cast the deciding vote.

Today Chris Skaife proudly holds this job. ‘If the ravens leave the Tower, the kingdom of Britain will fall…’Īn ominous legend, and one that requires a full time caretaker for the birds – in this case, the grandly titled Ravenmaster at the Tower of London.

The Ravenmaster by Christopher Skaife