<P> During World War II, only one raven was able to survive the hardships of the bombing during the Blitz, so the Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill, ordered more ravens to be brought in, in order to bring the flock up to the correct size . The Tower ravens are enlisted as soldiers of the Kingdom, and were issued attestation cards in the same way as soldiers and police . As is the case with soldiers, the ravens can be dismissed for unsatisfactory conduct . </P> <P> The first reference to an early version of the legend that Britain will fall if the ravens leave the Tower comes from July, 1944, when ravens were being used as unofficial spotters for enemy bombs and planes during the Blitz . </P> <P> Today the Tower's ravens are one of the attractions for tourists visiting the City of London . Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, is reported to have been impressed by the birds' verbal skills; one of the ravens greeted each person in his entourage with a "Good morning!". However, visitors are advised not to feed the birds, and warned that a raven will bite if it feels threatened . </P> <P> Since 1987, the Tower ravens have been the subject of a successful captive breeding programme . For example, over time, 17 chicks were successfully hatched and raised by a pair of ravens known as "Charlie" and "Rhys". Charlie came to an unhappy end: he bit a bomb - sniffing dog (who was also named Charlie), and the dog grabbed the raven with his teeth . This dog bite killed the bird . </P>

Where are the ravens in the tower of london