[News in War History] 'Bidulgi' Arrested on Spy Charges in China... Unbelievable Animal Intelligence Agent

Taiwan Pigeon Misidentified as Chinese Spy
Many Marine Animals Like Dolphins and Sea Lions
Massive Replacement with Robots Amid Animal Abuse Controversy

News has spread worldwide that Indian authorities detained a pigeon for eight months, mistaking it for a Chinese spy, before releasing it. This incident, reminiscent of ancient times when animals were used as communication tools, has drawn even more attention for occurring in the 21st century.

Although many animal spy projects have disappeared amid controversies over animal abuse and the focus has shifted to developing AI robots, many animals are still actively used in the field. In this article, we will explore the stories of these animal spies.

[Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

Taiwanese Pigeon Arrested in India Released After 8 Months

According to the Associated Press on the 3rd (local time), Mumbai police in India announced on the 31st of last month that they had released a pigeon detained for eight months on suspicion of espionage after being arrested in the Mumbai port area in May last year. The pigeon was wearing rings made of aluminum and copper on its legs at the time of arrest, and it had characters that appeared to be Chinese, leading to the misunderstanding that it was a Chinese spy pigeon.

However, after capturing the pigeon and sending it to an animal hospital for investigation, it was found that the pigeon was not a spy sent from China but had mistakenly flown from Taiwan. It was a racing pigeon that lost its way and flew all the way to India. As a result, the charges were dropped, and the pigeon was handed over to an animal protection organization in Mumbai. The organization later released the pigeon back into the wild.

[Image source=AP·Yonhap News]

In fact, this was quite a blow to the pride of the Indian police. It was reported that in 2020, Indian authorities also mistakenly caught and released a pigeon that flew in from Pakistan, mistaking it for a Chinese spy pigeon, which drew criticism.

It is presumed that such misunderstandings arose because pigeons have long been used as a means of communication in India, and they are still widely used in high mountain areas where communication connections are poor.

Extensive Use of Marine Animals Like Combat Dolphins and Sea Lions

The reason Indian police reacted so sensitively is that a wide variety of animal spies are still active today. In May last year, a beluga whale believed to have been trained by Russian forces was spotted off the coast of Sweden, attracting global attention.

Marine animals such as dolphins and sea lions have been widely used since World War II for mine clearance and enemy reconnaissance, and many individuals are still trained for military purposes.

There have also been cases involving squirrel and rat spies. Since the 2010s, many squirrels and rats equipped with small cameras or listening devices have been found near the Iranian border, prompting large-scale searches by Iranian authorities.

In fact, a lizard with an implanted listening device was discovered at a uranium mine in Iran. Iranian authorities protested, claiming that the US and Western countries trained these animal spies to locate Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Animal-Shaped Spy Robots Emerging Amid Animal Abuse Controversies

However, the indiscriminate use of these animals has drawn criticism from animal protection groups. Sending animals into dangerous battlefields is increasingly seen as a violation of animal rights, leading governments worldwide to focus more on developing AI spy robots rather than deploying live animals.

Recently, spy robots modeled after insects and fish have been continuously developed, attracting attention. Highly sophisticated robots that are almost indistinguishable from real creatures are emerging, leading to discussions that important facilities may need to install detectors before mosquito nets in the future. Hopefully, the use of live animals in warfare will decrease going forward.