In medieval times, the Tower of London was home to the Royal Menagerie. Lions, leopards, bears, birds, monkeys and even an elephant (a gift from the King of France) were kept on exhibit. The specter of a bear from this menagerie is said to have appeared on the stroke of midnight one frosty evening in January 1815.

A sentry saw a huge bear emerge from a doorway and lunged at it with his bayonet. Much to the sentry's horror, the weapon passed right through the apparition. The sentry was later found unconscious and died of fright within two months.