Spy Animals

Police in Mumbai, India, released a pigeon this week that was suspected of spying for China. Indian officials captured the bird eight months ago when they spotted a message in Chinese written on the pigeon's wings and concluded that the animal was being used to gather intelligence.

The pigeon has been in captivity since May in the Bai Sakarbai Dinshaw Petit Hospital for Animals (BSDPHA) in Parel, but after pressure from the animal rights organization PETA, officials released the bird this past Saturday.

In 2016, a similar incident occurred when a pigeon was captured after officials discovered it was carrying a note that threatened Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

In 2019, fishermen off the northern coast of Norway spotted a white beluga whale wearing a Russian harness with camera mounts. Beluga whales are social animals that typically travel together in a pod, but the white beluga discovered in Norwegian waters was alone and interactive with humans. After examining his specially made harness, officials concluded that the whale nicknamed Hvaldimir (hval [whale] + Vladimir Putin) may have been trained by the Russian military.

While stories like these often make global headlines, they are nothing new: "Spy animals" have been used by militaries and espionage agencies for hundreds of years. And while ethical considerations abound, "spy creature technology" has also been used in the wild to study animal behaviors and patterns in an effort to learn more about endangered animals and the health of our planet. 

Do you hear how our underlying motivations undergird and define all that we do? In these stories of "spy animals," are we motivated by mistrust or wonder? Fear or awe of the world around us? And while stories of pigeons and belugas may seem far from our daily lives, what about your motivations? Mistrust or wonder? Fear or awe?

Remember Matthew 18: Jesus called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me."

How might you approach your days with childlike awe?

God bless ,

Jennie