Sweary, thieving raven faces being issued with ornithological ASBO

A foul-mouthed raven is facing an ASBO (Anti-social behaviour order) for repeatedly stealing phones and cameras from tourists. The talking bird, named Izzie, has even tricked visitors into thinking she’s injured before flying off with equipment worth hundreds of pounds. She’s even been known to take selfies with the pilfered photographic gear, using her beak to take snaps of herself at Knaresborough Castle in North Yorkshire. Izzie has also stolen babies’ dummies and has been heard swearing at passers-by and police.



Now her shocking conduct has become so bad, her keeper has been warned eight-year-old Izzie may have to be hit with the ornithological equivalent of an ASBO and tethered to a wall in future. “It started to be a problem when people were taking photos of her,” said Igraine Hustwitt Skelton, Her Majesty’s Keeper of Castle Ravens in Knaresborough. “She would fly towards them and sit on their shoulders but then she started taking things. Now she’s taken to nicking cameras and mobile phones and using her beak to take selfies.”

Troublesome Izzie’s bad behaviour started when she began stealing golf balls from the pitch and putt course at the castle and museum, which is owned by the Duchy of Lancaster. After taking the balls she would drop them in a nearby river. But Izzie, whose full name is Izabella, has now taken to pilfering more expensive items. “There was one woman on a bench eating fish and chips and taking photos,” explained Igraine. “Izzie took a bottle out of a bin and pretended she’d got her foot stuck in it and was injured in the middle of the bowling green. The lady went to help free her but she flew off and took her camera in her powerful beak.



“She flew onto the museum roof and managed to take a picture of herself. It was too late to do anything about it.” Igraine, who has had the raven since she was seven weeks old, added: “I just went to the lady and apologised profusely.” Izzie has also been warned about her foul language. “She learns it from people she’s heard but it is a bit Anglo-Saxon,” said her keeper. “She’ll ask people taking her photo ‘What you f*cking looking at?! She’s also flown to the police station nearby and said ‘Ello, Ello, Ello’ When the constable came out to take a look, she swore at him.”