In an incredible case, India this week released a pigeon that
was detained by police for 8 months
.
A phrase that seems like the prelude to a B-movie, but hides a real story of alleged espionage.
The bird was intercepted last May
in the port of Bombay.
According to local media such as Press Trust of India or Times of India, the bird caught the attention of the authorities because
it was carrying two rings tied to its legs
that contained messages written in Chinese.
Although the researchers identified the Chinese calligraphy,
they were unable to uncover the message
due to its completely illegible appearance.
The pigeon that was captive in India for 8 months.
Photo: EFE/PETA
However, as a precaution, they kept her for 8 months in
a veterinarian's cage
because they understood that she could be a spy sent by China.
After long captivity, Indian investigations have finally determined that the pigeon they believed to be a spy
was participating in races in Taiwan.
It is unknown whether its passage through India was due to a failure of orientation or an escape attempt, but
the bird has finally been exonerated of all accusations.
The NGO Peta India
has been key
in this entire process, since at all times it has ensured the freedom of the animal.
The same organization has been able to certify that the pigeon is
in good health
before being released.
The pigeon was released after spending 8 months detained for an alleged Chinese spy. Photo: Efe/ Peta.
Curiously, this is not a unique case.
India apparently has a
fixation on spy pigeons.
In 2020,
they made another mistake
by capturing a pigeon in the Kashmir region that they later discovered belonged to a Pakistani fisherman.
The 2016 case has more merit, since the pigeon intercepted on the border with Pakistan
did carry a threatening message
towards the country's Prime Minister, Narendra Modi.
Source: La Vanguardia