A pigeon suspected of being a “Chinese spy” has been released after eight months in India. According to the investigation, this pigeon is actually a racing pigeon from Taiwan.
Indian police have released a pigeon that had been detained for more than eight months on suspicion of being a Chinese spy. The pigeon was captured in 2023 at a port in Chemburin, a suburb of Mumbai, India.
According to the “Times of India” report, the two anklets tied to the pigeon’s feet had “what appeared to be Chinese characters” written on them. The police impounded the pigeon and sent it to an animal hospital in Mumbai.
However, the pigeon was suspected of espionage, but the case was dropped after the investigation. Police discovered that it was a racing pigeon that had escaped from the open waters of Taiwan and flown to India. Representatives from the non-profit organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) contacted the police to demand the pigeon’s release.
The pigeon was transferred from the animal hospital to the Mumbai Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, where doctors released it on Tuesday (January 30). This is not the first time Indian police have suspected birds of espionage. Kashmiri police captured a suspected espionage pigeon in 2020 after it flew across the heavily guarded border between India and Pakistan and was later released.
In 2016, another pigeon was impounded after it was found carrying a note threatening Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
It’s uncertain that this pigeon was used for spying, but the case being dropped offers some relief for those involved.
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