Detention Of Animals For Espionage: Pigeon Suspected Of Spying For China Released In India

A pigeon suspected of spying for China and detained for eight months was released by Indian officials this week.

The bird was taken in May of last year near a Mumbai port, with two rings linked to its legs that appeared to contain Chinese characters.

The police held the pigeon, suspecting espionage, and eventually transported it to Mumbai's Bai Sakarbai Dinshaw Petit Hospital for Animals.

Open-water Racing Bird

A three-month police inquiry revealed that the pigeon was an open-water racing bird from Taiwan who had escaped and flown to India.

Ravindar Patil, the assistant Mumbai police sub-inspector assigned to the case, claimed he submitted one of the rings on the bird's legs for testing and discovered a chip with geographical information on where it came from.

The inscription on the ring was worn and illegible.

"Nothing else turned out suspicious. It may have been weak and injured, and boarded the ship and off-boarded here," he added.

The bird was released from the hospital on Tuesday.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) India, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of animals, persuaded police to release the bird.

"PETA India handles 1,000 calls a week of animal emergencies, but this was our first case of a suspected spy who needed to be freed of wrongful imprisonment," said Meet Ashar, an official from PETA.

Animals Use For Espionage

It is not the first time a bird has sparked police suspicion in India.

In 2020, police in Indian-controlled Kashmir released a pigeon belonging to a Pakistani fisherman after an investigation determined that the bird, which had flown across the heavily militarized border between the nuclear-armed states, was not a spy.

In 2016, another pigeon was apprehended when it was discovered with a message threatening Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Pigeons have been the most well-known animal employed for espionage.

According to the International Spy Museum, during World War I, pigeons were equipped with small cameras and released over enemy territory. The small camera snapped as the bird soared through enemy territory. Because of their speed and ability to return to base in any weather, they were also in charge of delivering communications beyond enemy lines.

The success rate of this strategy meant that 95% of pigeons completed their deliveries, and they were used for espionage until the 1950s.

Cher Ami was a legendary pigeon whose final mission was on October 14, 1918, when it helped save 194 soldiers from an encircled battalion in a battle against the Germans. Cher Ami was injured in the leg and breast by enemy fire, yet he managed to return the message to its loft while it dangled from his wounded leg.

The pigeon died on June 13, 1919, as a consequence of injuries incurred during the mission.

In recent years, other animals, besides pigeons, have been used for espionage. During the Cold War, numerous governments attempted to recruit multiple animals into their espionage programs.

Dolphins have been trained by the US Navy to detect submarines and underwater explosives since the 1960s.