Police cleared and released a suspected Chinese spy pigeon on January 30 after eight months of detention in Mumbai. The pigeon was captured in May 2023 near a Mumbai port with two rings tied to its legs, carrying words that looked like Chinese, according to a report by the Associated Press. “Police suspected it was involved in espionage and took it in, later sending it to Mumbai’s Bai Sakarbai Dinshaw Petit Hospital for Animals,” it added. The pigeon was ultimately set free when it was found that the alleged spy was an open-water racing bird from Taiwan who had escaped and reached India. This isn’t the first time that a pigeon was detained on the charges of espionage. In March 2023, two pigeons were caught under the suspicion of spying in Odisha’s Puri. While one pigeon had tags attached to its legs — one of the tags had “REDDY VSP DN” engraved on it — the other pigeon had devices that looked like a camera and a microchip fitted to it. Pigeons are the most famous animal spies Historically, pigeons have been the most famous animal that has been used for espionage. During World War I, pigeons had little cameras fitted on them and were released over enemy territory, according to a report by the International Spy Museum. The little camera clicked as the bird flew through enemy territory. Due to their speed and ability to return to base regardless of the weather, they were also in charge of delivering messages over enemy lines. The success rate of this method meant that 95% of pigeons completed their deliveries and continued to be used for espionage until the 1950s, the museum added. A famous pigeon was called Cher Ami, whose last mission was on October 14, 1918, in which it helped save 194 soldiers of an encircled battalion in a fight against the Germans. Cher Ami was shot through the leg and breast by enemy fire but managed to return the message to its loft, as it dangled from his wounded leg. Cher Ami died on June 13, 1919, as a result of the injuries sustained during its mission. It was awarded the French Croix de Guerre with palm along with other posthumous awards. It was also given the greatest award to be given to any brave hero: being taxidermized. Other animal spies In recent years, animals other than pigeons have also been used for espionage. The Cold War prompted many governments to try and induct multiple animals into their espionage programs. One of them was dolphins, which have been trained by the US Navy since the 1960s to detect submarines and underwater mines, according to the Smithsonian Magazine. The US Navy has also used sea lions for their eyesight to retrieve unarmed mines and other materials, a report by Business Insider said. Perhaps one of the most unexpected animals to be brought into espionage was a cat. In what is now called the Acoustic Kitty project, the CIA attempted to use cats as listening devices, the book ‘Beasts of War’ noted. This is an updated version of an explainer first published in May 2023.
