A massive ancient oak tree linked to the legend of Robin Hood has died, according to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. The 1,200-year-old Major Oak in Sherwood Forest, England, is believed to have died after it didn’t sprout leaves this spring.

Conservation Efforts

Visitors over the past two centuries who viewed the tree’s gnarled limbs and sprawling canopy compressed the soil, making it difficult for rain to reach its roots, the conservation group said. The forest has been under threat for years, and the tree had been rumored to have died in the past — only to have the group confirm it was still alive.

The tree is said to have sheltered Robin Hood, the legendary 13th-century bandit who stole from the rich and gave to the poor and took refuge in the forest when being pursued by the sheriff of Nottingham. It got its name after being mentioned in a book on oaks by Major Hayman Rooke in 1790 that led to the first wave of fans who flocked to the forest.

Tree experts found the root system strangled and starved. Climate change that has brought heat waves and drought was also blamed for the tree’s decline. “Ancient trees like the Major Oak are the ‘conservation white rhinos of the U.K.’ but their decline is far less visible,” said Ed Pyne, of the Woodland Trust.

The Major Oak was spared from the saw and has been protected by a fence since the 1970s. “The Major Oak will continue to stand at the heart of Sherwood as a natural monument for visitors to come and see, living on in the legend of Robin Hood and continuing to provide as much support to the forest’s ecosystem in death as in life,” said Hollie Drake of the RSPB.

Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.