An accused Chinese pigeon spy has been freed in India after getting detained for eight months. This is quite similar to some cartoons where animals are used as spies.
But, in reality, pigeons and other smart animals are really used by militaries across the world to spy on their enemies, especially during World War I.
A pigeon sits in its cage as judges begin the process of finding the Best In Show during the annual British Homing Pigeon World Show of the Year at Blackpool Winter Gardens at The Winter Gardens on January 14, 2022, in Blackpool, England.
Although spy pigeons are real, this is a bit of a surprise for China to use traditional spying methods when it already has surveillance technologies that are considered among the most efficient in the world.
However, is the pigeon captured by India really a spy of China? Here's what law enforcement officials revealed.
Alleged Chinese Spy Pigeon Finally Free From Prison
The New York Post reported that a pigeon, which was accused of being a Chinese spy, was released into the wild by the Indian police on Tuesday, Jan. 30.
The winged animal was captured back in May 2023 when onlookers spotted the pigeon with two rings tied to its legs; these rings have written words resembling Chinese letters.
Because of this, the fowl was captured by the Indian police to investigate if the pigeon was a Chinese spy who was seeking confidential intelligence back then.
They transferred the bird to Mumbai's Bai Sakarbai Dinshaw Petit Hospital for Animals. However, they learned that the pigeon wasn't a spy at all.
Instead, it's an open-water racing pigeon that escaped from Taiwan and migrated to India. Thanks to their investigation, the pigeon was proven innocent.
After the bird was cleared of any spying activity, it was transferred to the Bombay Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Doctors checked the pigeon for any health complications or injury before setting it free into the wild.
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About Spy Pigeons
A wet pigeon shelters from the rain under a tree in St James' Park as storms bring widespread rain and wind across the country on July 29, 2018, in London, England. Much of the United Kingdom is being hit with heavy rain showers and winds after weeks of prolonged high temperatures and uninterrupted sunshine.
During World War I and World War II, many countries trained pigeons to become their spies. These winged animals worked together with human spies to gather sensitive information about their enemies.
Smithsonian Magazine stated that over 100,000 spy pigeons flew missions during WWI. These include a Black Check cock carrier pigeon, which was part of the U.S. Army Signal Corps in France, as well as the heroic Cher Ami.
During World War II, this number more than doubled since spy pigeons sent to war missions reached around 250,000. There are many reasons why pigeons were among the animals used during wars in the old days.
This is because of their speed, navigational capabilities, endurance to extreme weather, tiny sizes, etc.
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