By . Paul Bentley . PUBLISHED: . 20:20 EST, 27 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:00 EST, 28 October 2013 . Snatched: Two of the Tower of London's famous ravens have been killed by a fox. Legend has it that six ravens must guard the Tower of London at all times or the monarchy will fall. So security has been beefed up at the Norman fortress after a fox killed two of the treasured birds, leaving the minimum number required to save the Crown. The ravens, named Grip and Jubilee, were snatched just before they were due to be locked up in their cages overnight. Fortunately there were two spare birds at the Tower to keep the numbers up. A spokesman for Historic Royal Palaces, the charity that cares for the birds, said it had been a ‘lucky escape’ because the hungry fox had almost taken the number of ravens below six. The dead birds were found by keepers at dusk and tests showed they were killed by a fox. Grip was named after the raven in Charles Dickens’s Barnaby Rudge that inspired a poem by Edgar Allan Poe, while Jubilee was chosen to honour the Queen. The two new birds brought in as replacements have been given the same names. Catherine Steventon, of Historic Royal Palaces, said: ‘The ravens are put to bed each evening in secure enclosures to  minimise these risks, however sadly a fox captured two of the ravens before they were put to bed. 'At dusk we couldn’t find them. Eventually, they were found within the inner walls… Currently we have eight ravens at the Tower. The legend mentions six ravens and we like to have two extra.’ In light of the attacks, Historic Royal Palaces has increased security and reviewed pest control measures. The legend of the ravens of the Tower is said to have begun under the reign of Charles II, who insisted that they should  be protected. Guardians: The tower's ravens are cared for by the Beefeaters . Historic: The ravens are rumoured to have first been protected on order of Charles II . Watchers: A raven can be seen looking over Beefeaters at the Tower in 1996 . The birds, known as ‘guardians of the Tower’, are very well looked after, eating a diet of meat from Smithfield market, biscuits soaked in blood, and salt and vinegar crisps as a treat. An annual budget of £4,000 is set aside for their care. Most ravens in the wild have a life expectancy of 12 years but those in the Tower – who have their wings clipped to stop them flying away – usually live past their 25th birthday, with some reaching 40. Current residents Hugine, Erin, Merlin, Munin, Portia, Rocky, Jubilee and Grip will this winter see their home refurbished for the first time in 20 years. Taken: The ravens, named Grip and Jubilee, were snatched just before they were due to be locked up in their cages at the Tower overnight . They are allowed to roam on the south lawn and Tower Green during the day but are locked up at night. From next year, they will have modern cages with a secure area. The fox attack occurred in May and only came to light after a freedom of information request. Fortunately, no other ravens have been killed since but two died naturally and a third bird was dismissed for eating TV aerials. They have all been replaced. Legend has it that wild ravens have lived in the Tower of London for more than five hundred years. The birds are notorious scavengers and could have been attracted to the fortress by the smell given off by the corpses of those who had been executed. There are accounts of the carnivorous animals looking grimly on at the executions of Anne Bolyen and Lady Jane Grey - both wives of Tudor king Henry VIII. Superstitions that the ravens staying at the tower is the key to the nation's survival are thought to have originated around the 17th Century, when reigning monarch Charles II took the legend seriously enough to have the birds protected. Tradition: Two ravens pictured in the Tower in the 1960s . One story tells that the king complained to his Royal Astronomer, John Flamsteed, that the birds were leaving unsightly droppings on his telescope, and that he wanted them removed. But when he was told of the legend that the ravens were linked to the survival of the monarchy - which had only just been restored after the death of Oliver Cromwell - he declared that the ravens should have their wings clipped and be kept in the Tower to ensure their survival. As a compromise, he also decided to move the Royal Observatory to Greenwich. Another account say that Charles II first protected the ravens after the people of the capital began attacking them for scavenging in the destruction left by the Great Fire of London in 1666. In modern times, the ravens have one of their wings clipped, which means they can fly for short distances but cannot escape the fortress. The birds are officially enlisted as soldiers in the Army, and there are records of individuals being dismissed from their 'duties' at the Tower for unsatisfactory conduct. Close bond: A Raven Master meets a young bird at the Tower in the 1980s . Each raven has a coloured band on its leg to make it easier to identify the birds, which are commonly cited as being the one of the most common reasons for visiting the Tower, second only to the Crown Jewels. As well as their diet of premium meat, the birds are also feed cheese, boiled eggs, fruit and even vitamin supplements to keep them healthy. They are also dutifully protected from the outside world - a report from 2005 showed that crows around the Tower were being shot to protect the birds from disease and competition for food - while in the 2006 bird flu scare, they were given a special protective enclosure. However, some historians claim that the tradition of keeping ravens in the Tower is much less well-established than previously thought. In 2004 Dr Geoff Parnell, an historian at the Tower, searched the record books for the earliest mention of kept ravens, and could find nothing dating from earlier than 1895. Also in the records that did exist, it was occasionally stated that 'there are none' of the ravens left - suggesting their fabled link to Britain's destiny may not be as strong as first thought.
Security beefed up at Norman fortress after fox kills two birds .
Ravens Grip and Jubilee were due to be locked up in their cages overnight .
Legend has it that six ravens must guard the Tower at all times .
By . Paul Bentley . PUBLISHED: . 20:20 EST, 27 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:00 EST, 28 October 2013 . Snatched: Two of the Tower of London's famous ravens have been killed by a fox. Legend has it that six ravens must guard the Tower of London at all times or the monarchy will fall. So security has been beefed up at the Norman fortress after a fox killed two of the treasured birds, leaving the minimum number required to save the Crown. The ravens, named Grip and Jubilee, were snatched just before they were due to be locked up in their cages overnight. Fortunately there were two spare birds at the Tower to keep the numbers up. A spokesman for Historic Royal Palaces, the charity that cares for the birds, said it had been a ‘lucky escape’ because the hungry fox had almost taken the number of ravens below six. The dead birds were found by keepers at dusk and tests showed they were killed by a fox. Grip was named after the raven in Charles Dickens’s Barnaby Rudge that inspired a poem by Edgar Allan Poe, while Jubilee was chosen to honour the Queen. The two new birds brought in as replacements have been given the same names. Catherine Steventon, of Historic Royal Palaces, said: ‘The ravens are put to bed each evening in secure enclosures to  minimise these risks, however sadly a fox captured two of the ravens before they were put to bed. 'At dusk we couldn’t find them. Eventually, they were found within the inner walls… Currently we have eight ravens at the Tower. The legend mentions six ravens and we like to have two extra.’ In light of the attacks, Historic Royal Palaces has increased security and reviewed pest control measures. The legend of the ravens of the Tower is said to have begun under the reign of Charles II, who insisted that they should  be protected. Guardians: The tower's ravens are cared for by the Beefeaters . Historic: The ravens are rumoured to have first been protected on order of Charles II . Watchers: A raven can be seen looking over Beefeaters at the Tower in 1996 . The birds, known as ‘guardians of the Tower’, are very well looked after, eating a diet of meat from Smithfield market, biscuits soaked in blood, and salt and vinegar crisps as a treat. An annual budget of £4,000 is set aside for their care. Most ravens in the wild have a life expectancy of 12 years but those in the Tower – who have their wings clipped to stop them flying away – usually live past their 25th birthday, with some reaching 40. Current residents Hugine, Erin, Merlin, Munin, Portia, Rocky, Jubilee and Grip will this winter see their home refurbished for the first time in 20 years. Taken: The ravens, named Grip and Jubilee, were snatched just before they were due to be locked up in their cages at the Tower overnight . They are allowed to roam on the south lawn and Tower Green during the day but are locked up at night. From next year, they will have modern cages with a secure area. The fox attack occurred in May and only came to light after a freedom of information request. Fortunately, no other ravens have been killed since but two died naturally and a third bird was dismissed for eating TV aerials. They have all been replaced. Legend has it that wild ravens have lived in the Tower of London for more than five hundred years. The birds are notorious scavengers and could have been attracted to the fortress by the smell given off by the corpses of those who had been executed. There are accounts of the carnivorous animals looking grimly on at the executions of Anne Bolyen and Lady Jane Grey - both wives of Tudor king Henry VIII. Superstitions that the ravens staying at the tower is the key to the nation's survival are thought to have originated around the 17th Century, when reigning monarch Charles II took the legend seriously enough to have the birds protected. Tradition: Two ravens pictured in the Tower in the 1960s . One story tells that the king complained to his Royal Astronomer, John Flamsteed, that the birds were leaving unsightly droppings on his telescope, and that he wanted them removed. But when he was told of the legend that the ravens were linked to the survival of the monarchy - which had only just been restored after the death of Oliver Cromwell - he declared that the ravens should have their wings clipped and be kept in the Tower to ensure their survival. As a compromise, he also decided to move the Royal Observatory to Greenwich. Another account say that Charles II first protected the ravens after the people of the capital began attacking them for scavenging in the destruction left by the Great Fire of London in 1666. In modern times, the ravens have one of their wings clipped, which means they can fly for short distances but cannot escape the fortress. The birds are officially enlisted as soldiers in the Army, and there are records of individuals being dismissed from their 'duties' at the Tower for unsatisfactory conduct. Close bond: A Raven Master meets a young bird at the Tower in the 1980s . Each raven has a coloured band on its leg to make it easier to identify the birds, which are commonly cited as being the one of the most common reasons for visiting the Tower, second only to the Crown Jewels. As well as their diet of premium meat, the birds are also feed cheese, boiled eggs, fruit and even vitamin supplements to keep them healthy. They are also dutifully protected from the outside world - a report from 2005 showed that crows around the Tower were being shot to protect the birds from disease and competition for food - while in the 2006 bird flu scare, they were given a special protective enclosure. However, some historians claim that the tradition of keeping ravens in the Tower is much less well-established than previously thought. In 2004 Dr Geoff Parnell, an historian at the Tower, searched the record books for the earliest mention of kept ravens, and could find nothing dating from earlier than 1895. Also in the records that did exist, it was occasionally stated that 'there are none' of the ravens left - suggesting their fabled link to Britain's destiny may not be as strong as first thought.
Legend has it that six ravens must guard the Norman fortress after a fox killed two of the Grip and Jubilee, were snatched just before they were due to be locked up in their cages due to be locked up in their cages at the Tower