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Romeo

Rupert Ackroyd and Owen Bullet 2013

In February 2011, a fox named Romeo made headlines after his daring jaunt around the Shard, London's pointy new skyscraper, during the latter stages of its construction. The BBC quoted a Mr Burden, the founder of a nearby animal centre which Romeo was taken to:

"We explained to him that if foxes were meant to be seventy-two storeys off the ground, they would have evolved wings. We think he got the message and, as we released him back on to the streets of Bermondsey shortly after midnight, he glanced at the Shard and then trotted off in the other direction."

Romeo, no doubt grateful for the lesson in Darwinist theory (he could have replied that the same thing can be said of humans but evidently he let it slide), wandered off and was never seen again. His legend lives on however, as two years later he was immortalised at Grizedale in this splendid wooden sculpture, which commands excellent views over the valley and sits against a dramatic backdrop of the distant Coniston range of fells. It was initially on display at the Art House Foundation in London, but it has surely found its true home in this spot. If you're wondering wherefore art Romeo, he can be found on the Grizedale Tarn walk, just south of the Red Sandstone Fox, unmissable by the side of the forest road.

Sadly, Romeo the fox was unavailable for comment.

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