Beasts at the Tower: The Royal Menagerie

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Let’s explore the exotic beasts that filled the Tower of London’s royal menagerie….
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Intro / Outro song: Silent Partner, "Greenery" [ • Greenery - Silent Part... ]
SFX from freesfx.co.uk/Default.aspx
Linked videos and playlists:
Royal Pets: • Pets at Court: Puppies...
Images (from Wikimedia Commons, unless otherwise stated):
Lions of England shield. By Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
The wedding of Frederick II and Isabella by Matthew Paris (12th century) - img162.imageshack.us/img162/90..., Public Domain, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
Photograph of the polar bear sculpture in the Tower of London. Taken by Jonathan Cardy (2012).
Photograph of the elephant sculpture in the Tower of London. Taken by Stiller Beobachter (2018).
Henry III's Elephant, gift by Louis IX of France by Matthew Paris (1255). From Ms.Cotton Nero D.I (Book Of Additions / Liber additamentorum), folio 169 v. Held by the British Library.
Scale model of the Tower of London in the Tower of London, derivative work by Hchc2009. This file was derived from: Scale Model Of The Tower Of London In The Tower Of London.jpg:, CC BY 2.5, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
Photograph of a skull of a Barbary lion that was kept at Tower of London, held by the Natural History Museum, London. Taken by Thomas Quine (2017).
Lion sculptures in the ruins of the Lion Tower by Patrick Davies Contemporary Art (Sculptor, Kendra Haste; Photographer, Patrick Davies) - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
Photograph of a baboon sculpture in the Tower of London. Taken by Brian Jeffery Beggerly (2018).
Photograph of the “Resisting Slavery” panel on Edward Francis outside the Tower of London. Taken by me (2024).
Screenshot from: www.rmg.co.uk/schools-communi...
"The South View of the Tower of London" engraving, published in 1737 by Nathaniel and Samuel Buck. Courtesy of the British Museum.
Painting by P. Mathews in or just after August 1838 of the Trial of Bill Burns, the first prosecution under the 1822 Martin's Act for cruelty to animals, after Burns was found beating his donkey. The prosecution was brought by Richard Martin, MP for Galway, also known as Humanity Dick, and the case became memorable because he brought the donkey into court.
Ravens in the Tower of London, from London Town illustrated by Thomas Crane and Ellen Houghton, 1883; London/New York: Marcus Ward & Co. (p. 9); (also at the Library of Congress).
Quoted texts:
William of Malmsbury, Chronicle of the Kings of England (12th century)
BL blog post: blogs.bl.uk/digitisedmanuscri...
#History #TowerOfLondon #Animal

[@KitOfTheWeirdWoods]

Would love a video on the ravens of the Tower!!

[@chloeobeirne6821]

Yes that would be awesome 🙌

[@vlmellody51]

I'd like it, too! 🦍🐆🐅🐘

[@victoriachappell4098]

Yes, please! 🐦‍⬛

[@--enyo--]

Halloween special episode?

[@Heothbremel]

Those poor elephants. The ravens would be a cool video!!!!! 🐅🐅🐅🐅🐅🐅🐅🧡🤍🖤🧡🤍🖤🧡🤍🖤🧡🤍🖤🧡🤍🖤🧡🤍🖤🧡🤍🖤🧡🤍🖤🧡🤍🖤🧡🤍🖤🧡🤍🖤🧡🤍🖤

[@judyshoaf448]

I visited the tower in 2019 and enjoyed the animal sculptures. Thanks for giving some background--really a kind of history of medieval zookeeping. Sad about the drunk elephants.

[@mercyjokes2d696]

Don't feel too bad for drunk elephants. In their natural habitat, the elephants knowingly seek out and eat magick shrooms. I shit Yee not. The locals get a bit angsty when it's the season to partake. Bit like Canadians when the moose population get drunk upon fermented apples. The havoc they cause, I'm impressed.

[@LusiaEyre]

It makes you wonder how bad the conditions must have been, or how unwell looking the animals that people started asking,'maybe that's not right'.

[@Rosedawn321]

The drawing of the elephant is heartbreaking! It looks so very sad and if one observes the front foot being so tightly restrained as to be unable to walk at all it makes my blood boil! So very cruel! 🐘

[@gemmanash1615]

A polar bear swimming in the Thames! What an image 🐻‍❄️

[@michelleburkholder2547]

I liked that story because it shows the evolution of human compassion. We still have a long way to go.

[@catherineseear7069]

We definitely do

[@pamtaylor989]

A raven video, please! 🐦‍⬛(yes, I know this is a pigeon, couldn't find a raven)

[@rochelleoconnor6676]

I absolutely love your videos and appreciate the effort that you put into creating them. I imagine it can be difficult at times, but you never ever fail to deliver. Please keep them coming, your time is appreciated by your community. You should be proud of yourself!! 🦁👑

[@janebach289]

🐩🐈 Bringing a cat or a dog as a payment for entrance is sick 🙀

[@michellemcgill9328]

Quite Disturbing

[@Tiger89Lilly]

They were probably strays

[@elizabethnewell3133]

My cats were horrified to hear this. They demand a content warning! 😅

[@ddivar8149]

Its many years ago-a man wearing a collar is worse

[@Lionstar16]

Thank you for this video about the Tower of London royal menagerie. So many animal stories to choose from but I think my favourite has to be the polar bear - just the idea of a polar bear going fishing in the River Thames is incredible. Another bear also lived in the menagerie - a grizzly bear from America that was named Old Martin and was presented as a gift to George III

[@oo4371]

Looking forward to your historical insights so as to add to our basic knowledge on this subject: excited background to the beginning of the London Zoo.

[@9o2jag]

Thoroughly enjoyed learning about the history of the beasts of the Tower!! 🐘🐘🐆🦅🦅 While it does appear cruel to the animals, one needs to be mindful that people did not regard animals in the same way as we do today . This is evident when Elizabeth I gives the option of donating a pet for food as payment of entry .

[@douglasbreeden5078]

Loved the video, in 2017 I saw the statue of the polar bear and the lions, it was really cool. .

[@BeeKool__113]

Yes, Dr.Kat!! A video on the Tower's Ravens!! 😍🐦‍⬛ 🦧🐘🐅🐆🦁🏰👑🏰🦁🐆🐅🐘🦧

[@prettypic444]

Can’t decide whether exotic animals are a better or worse wedding gift than a blender. Needless to say, a video on the ravens would of course be welcome!🐦‍⬛🦁🐘 On a semi unrelated note, I found the part on Edward Francis very interesting. Escaped slave notices are a BIG part of American historiography. They’re often the best records we have for personal details of black Americans (like what they wore, what jobs they had, what they named their children, etc.) I never really considered the fact that they’d exist in Britain!

[@reenbenkyou]

I'll be heading to the Tower in a couple weeks, I'll keep an eye out for the sculptures!🐧

[@steelerbear]

ANOTHER wonderful video from Dr Kat! Thank you! 🐱🐈🐈‍⬛🦁🐯🐅🐆🦄

[@kathrynmast916]

🐘🦛🦏🐪🐫🦧🦍🦓🐆🐅🫏🐏🐑🦙🐈‍⬛🐈🦤🐇🐐🦫🦦🦔🐿️excellent presentation! Yes, please do one on the Raven❤

[@SpyderQueen1988]

The idea that they were feeding elephants meat and wine is insane! 🐘 🥩🍷

[@dianamyery8402]

Thanks for your videos. 🦒🐘🦓

[@kridswonderhowell4541]

Outstanding! Love & Appreciation from New Jersey USA

[@patriciapayne1274]

This was very interesting. I previously visited the Tower about 14 years ago and will be visiting again in the Autumn of this year. I do remember hearing about the menagerie, so this reinforced my knowledge and interest. Thank you for always doing such a stellar job! 👋🐒🐶🦓🐪🐘🦒🦆

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

Love your content! Thanks For this ❤❤❤❤

[@jennieleavidrich4796]

I had no idea that the tower served so many uses. Super interesting! 🦁

[@88kayleigh]

I’d actually love to learn more about the history of the RSPCA and social movements towards protecting animals generally! I think it’s such an easy supposition to make that these values are very modern and it would be interesting to learn more about their histories.

[@kathyastrom1315]

Hearing the name Thomas Dymoke gave me a start-my 16th great grandfather was also Thomas Dymoke, but he lived two centuries earlier.

[@matteusconnollius1203]

I'm sure he was a lot of peoples 16th great grandfather

[@mikelaffoon5986]

This info. adds greatly to the history of the tower. Thank You!

[@shelbynicole8907]

Rays (stingrays, manta rays, eagle rays, etc) are my favorite animal, but there is no emoji for them, so my favorite from the options is the adorable frog. They're fascinating, too. I collected anything frog related as a kid, and still find myself attracted to anything with them on it. 🐸😊💚

[@michaelkoeiman5661]

Good on Edward Francis, fighting for his freedom 🔥

[@CanadianMonarchist]

I visited the Tower of London in 2019 and 2022. I remember seeing the sculpture of the polar bear and reading about how he used to go swimming in the Thames.

[@amandagrayson389]

I really liked this video! 🐘 I live in Texas but I have watched a series on the Tower 🐆 so I have seen the animal sculptures. 🐪 So cool! 🦏🦓

[@carole6779]

Sooooo interesting. I had no idea that your Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals was founded as early as 1824. I always imagined those organizations to be more recent... mid-1900s or so. Conditions must have been pretty bad for the poor crittters being "cared for". And I have an especially hard time understanding why WINE was considered an appropriate food for elephants. 🤦‍♀🍷🐘 Thanks so much for another amazing video! 💖🦁🦅🐯

[@MLindsey222]

Fantastic video, Dr. Kat! ❤ Thanks as always for the fun and enlightening content you create! Would love to hear more about the ravens in the tower sometime! 🐦‍⬛

[@theclassicso8094]

I'm so glad you did a video on the Royal Menagerie. I had heard about this, and this description was very insightful. Thank you. 🦁🦒🐻‍❄

[@patriciakaskie4153]

Great subject!!!

[@Kristine709]

Fantastic video!!! I would love a video of the Twer ravens ⚔️⚔️⚔️

[@curiousman1672]

Heartbreaking for those animals.

[@sapphireseptember]

Poor elephants! 🐘🐘🥺 There's family history there. When my nan was alive she and my mum had a running joke that my nan was a hippo and my mum an elephant, which I've continued. As a result I love hippos and elephants. 🤍 Poor babies, being fed meat and made to drink wine.

[@gaylesuggs8523]

I am glad to learn about the Royal Menagerie - I had no idea it went back so far!🦁🐯🐻‍❄ And yes, I would LOVE to hear about the ravens of the Tower (a murder of crows?). Thanks so much for your enjoyable and informative videos!

[@donnariahi2975]

The care was pitiful, mostly. The history was interesting. The Ravens would be lovely.🙊🧸🐯

[@marthasmith2628]

Informative, as always - thank you! 🐱🦁🐘🐍

[@grtlyblesd]

I was at the tower in 2022. I remember one of the sculptures near the jewelry shop outside the Crown Jewels exhibit.

[@CindyAdams-zb4vm]

I just love your content and the way you present it!🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛

[@motherofsnakes314]

I would also love to hear about the working beasts that the royals/nobility used, as posed in the last video. This is another great and informative video as always!

[@emmastinylibrary]

It's a fascinating subject, that's for sure. Yes, I would love a video on the ravens please 🐦‍⬛

[@lokischildren7862]

Absolutely love this video

[@laurashannon1177]

Fantastic video! I would love a video about the Tower Ravens!🏰🐦‍⬛

[@mellowfishie]

i’d love a historical drama scene showing Edward Francis freeing himself and the (horrendously gastrically suffering) elephants... hopefully he was free after the historical record loses him

[@MH-sk8qs]

Great input on the Zoo!🦁🐆🐅🐒🐘

[@JulieShock]

This was an interesting video. 🐦‍⬛🐑

[@okiejammer2736]

LOVE YOUR CONTENT AND VIDEOS! Deeply researched and fresh. Well done.

[@ribkan4759]

3:55 7:25 The lion tower 8:37 according to British library blog post 14:46 painting

[@rosevale3218]

The lack of knowledge in caring for these creatures was horrible in retrospect. Usually, knowledge is acquired slowly, so these poor creatures suffered greatly for centuries. I know we can't judge them by our standards today, and it is a historical fact that this occurred, and I am glad better accommodation for all creatures displaced by encroachment of their territories is becoming more available today. 🦁🐯🐘

[@joshubrook324]

Enjoyed this I love all Tower of London 🐘related stuff 🐘thank you 🐘🦍 Yes please to tower ravens deep dive❤❤

[@sharonsmith583]

Fascinating video! Would love to see the ravens. I visited in 2018 and loved the sculptures. ❤

[@katherineoliver3856]

Thanks for another excellent video

[@shanagerson2669]

🐘🐘another great video thanks Dr. Kat!

[@LadybugPrinzess]

I met the Ravens. Please make a video on these! I already know the story but I like it when you tell it ❤

[@annemorton5236]

I suppose owning exotic beasts /giving them as gifts to other monarchs was one of the ways kings showed that they were not like other people. I'd love videos on the ravens and on the history of the RSPCA.🦍

[@loralynnbuono9505]

Great information 🐘

[@dianaanderson37]

Interesting video, great narration Dr Kat 🌟

[@beeheart6529]

So interesting! Your videos make me want to go to London. 🐘

[@judycater2832]

A raven video would be fantastic!❤❤❤

[@shanagerson2669]

I would love to see a video on the Neville’s and their influence on the monarchy.

[@AprilBird4]

How interesting! I would love a video on the ravens.

[@user-qr9dn6lf3l]

🐘🦁🐒🐻‍❄️ Thank you for this interesting video!

[@leannboyea1822]

Great video 🦧🦁🐘🐍

[@MonsieurChapeau]

Informative video; poor animals

[@arcola44]

Great video as always! Would love your take on the ravens in another video.🐘🐅🐒

[@MamaMargie]

i am happy that we only have sculpture now. I do think it would have been amazing for the Londoners to see but not for the animals. 🐻‍❄️

[@MSK-jd5fi]

🐒. We were at the Tower in 2019 and I have a nice photo of the wire monkeys

[@MeganMakesMesses]

It’s possible that the white bear may have been something like a Kermode bear (also known as a spirit bear to some of the Indigenous communities in what is now Canada) or a Glacier bear (sometimes called a blue bear) rather than a polar bear. Both are subspecies of black bear with the first having white fur and the second having silver or grey fur. They are significantly smaller than polar bears and therefore would have been much easier to capture and handle.

[@kaloarepo288]

But I think there is a record of a Norwegian king giving the pope a polar bear from Greenland (I think) during the Middle Ages so it's possible it was a real polar bear - I would have thought those ghost bears would be rather rare and difficult to obtain.

[@kathrynturnbull990]

@@kaloarepo288 yes, very difficult. But polar bears can and do easily kill people, whereas black bears very rarely do. I guess if they managed to capture tigers though, they may have captured a polar bear. Perhaps they nabbed it while it was still small.

[@kaloarepo288]

@@kathrynturnbull990 What would be more difficult and expensive to keep - a white bear or a white elephant?

[@ginnieplato2871]

🐆🐅🦔🐫🦁‼️(no elephant-story of their misfeeding broke my heart💔) I was in London for a very brief stay in the early 2010’s-I quick-walked through the Tower just before closing time; enough time to see the White Tower and jewels there, maybe some armor? but not animal statue-art. Perhaps it was also before the installation. Would have enjoyed as I’ve always been curious about the menagerie. Thank you for this video!

[@kathrynturnbull990]

I was in London and saw the Tower in the summer of 2003. That's quite awhile ago now, but I know I would have remembered animal statues! Maybe I will have to get there again, to see them. They look very cool.

[@renater.540]

If there be more information on Edward Francis available, I would love to see a full video on his life.

[@Elvertaw]

I saw these when we were in London last year. Sorry, but injustice felt sorry for the animals 😢 Would love a video on the ravens and the history of the Warders uniforms 🤓

[@G.L.McCarthy-vr1oe]

🐙

[@caitlinallen8400]

I really enjoyed this video! I was wondering if you could do a video on animal cruelty throughout medieval and early Modern history, even though it's a very sad thing to talk about. It baffles me that for so long, people did horrible things to animals for entertainment, etc. What was their mindset that allowed them to treat other living beings like that? Why didn't it bother them? These questions have often plagued me. I'm fascinated by the mindset and thought processes (about many topics) of medieval and early Modern people.

[@veryberry39]

Man, these poor animals. >< (Unrelated: there's something about the word "sluice" that I just love. It's such a juicy word to let roll off my tongue.)

[@eliscanfield3913]

Ravens, please! Poor animals. those were hideous conditions for a long, long time

[@victoriaeads6126]

🦚🦆🦙 The menagerie had SO many more animals than you could have possibly mentioned here. Who doesn't love a llama, though? (not sure they had those in the menagerie 😂)

[@ReadingthePast]

I haven’t seen a llama mentioned but perhaps there was one of the hundreds brought in by Alfred Copps in the 19th century? 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@lorrainefay3934]

🦁

[@starrywizdom]

🐘Poor elephants, trying to survive on meat & wine. I wonder if they got gout, or if they died of other causes before that could happen. 🐆🐪🐅

[@pamelaoliver8442]

🐕

[@mskellycareless]

🦁🦁🦁

[@WeEvil_Barlow]

👍

[@darlagoebel5221]

🐘🐘🐘🐘🐘🐘

[@ingridseim1379]

🦁🐯🐻, oh my!😅😅😅 🦄🐲🐉🦖⬅️ Fantasy zoo! 🦅🦉🦜🦚🦤⬅️ Aviary! (Somebody stop me!) 😅😅😅 In all seriousness, I would love to learn about the ravens at the tower. 🙏🏻

[@angelaakers4320]

“Johnny, go fetch Spot. We’re going to the Zoo!”

[@hillshounds]

🐘

[@katieweniger7269]

🦁🐘🐆

[@malcagottlieb6084]

🦁🦓🐘🏰

[@onamuir4985]

🦁🥰

[@kld3515]

🐪🐆🐘

[@steviecarroll8879]

🐘🦓🐘

[@julzy3]

🐻‍❄

[@wendyolsen9019]

🐘🦁

[@user-vp5og8dr4y]

🦒🐘🦧🦥🦔🐇

[@Nahimananuna]

🐘+ 🍷= ☠ 🐘+ 🥕= 🎉

[@hadrianryan4179]

🍷🐘