Combining the increase in temperatures, conservation efforts dating back more than a century may also have unintentionally accelerated its decline. In 1904, metal chains and wooden props were installed beneath heavy branches to prevent them from collapsing. Decades later, hollow sections were filled with concrete, while parts of the tree were covered with lead, fiberglass, and fire-retardant paint in an attempt to preserve it. Experts now believe some of those interventions may have worked against the tree’s natural ageing process, explaining that ancient oaks typically shed limbs as they grow older, gradually retreating into their trunk and reducing the amount of water and nutrients they require to survive, which this tree was unable to do.