From time immemorial, man has
domesticated pigeons using them for delivering communication – the bird-mail –
often you can see them transporting important messages in historical films and more
so between amorous lovers….. !! ~ the
ones that fly across is a special breed known popularly as “homers” ~ the
homing pigeons. They have the ability
and "map sense" of their geographic location and the "compass
sense" ~ finding their direction back home. There are competitions for the
Pigeons testing the duration of their flight as also the distance that they
travel back home.
Often we hear of smuggling of
rare species of animals and birds. At the time of disembarking, the arriving passengers have to declare the
dutiable items that they are carrying as also declare that they are not
carrying seeds, plants, wildlife, star fish and the like……….. some time back
there was a queer attempt of smuggling cat-eyed sname, the parcel reportedly booked
in Trichy and destined for Slovakia.
The address of the sender turned out to be fake.
Today’s TOI has a
news that 30 pigeons were seized from a flyer and sent back to Saudi Arabia. The news report stated that Customs officials at Chennai airport on Monday
early morning stopped a passenger who arrived by a Saudia flight and seized 30
pigeons worth 30 lakh. The birds, all homing pigeons, were sent back on the
same Saudia flight as they were classified as a protected species under the
Wildlife Act and there was a ban on bringing them into the country.
During interrogation, Mustafa, a native of
Ramanathapuram, told officials he was a pigeon enthusiast. He had paid Rs 1
lakh each for the homing pigeons that he wanted to take to his native village
for pigeon racing. He said he had purchased them from a racing pigeon
enthusiast in Saudi Arabia.
Mustafa pleaded with authorities to let him take the birds home but officials
refused citing the law. Officials said he became emotional and that it was
difficult to reason with him. Mustafa was allowed to go.
Strange … 30 pigeons ! – how were
they carried – in hand luggage or in any box placed with the air carrier – then
sure it would have been subjected to scanning… the hand luggage would have been
subjected to physical check – how could he get through !!!
The homing pigeons are selectively bred
to find its way home over extremely long distances. There are competitions
testing their duration of flight and distance of return. There are many such
clubs in North Madras.. Tuticorin is famous
for this race. There is the Valarpirai
Racing club actively engaged in this sport for over 2 decades.
The reared pigeons are let off from places as distant as Rajahmundry in AP and
have to reach within the allotted time – the distance for the birds (as the
crow flies they say) is closer to 1000 km.
Some reports state that in Afghan – the Taliban
banned the keeping and using homing pigeons…….. another interesting BBC report
of Mar 2002 suggested that homing pigeons were employed till the dawn of this
century by certain remote police departments in Odisha state in eastern India to
provide emergency communication services following natural disasters. In March
2002, it was announced that India's
Police Pigeon Service messenger system in Odisha was to be retired, due to the
expanded use of the Internet. The Govt
audit suggested that the service - employing some 800 birds - had become
redundant with the advent of e-mail and electronic communication. The pigeon
courier service dates back to 1946 - a year before India's
independence from Britain -
when it was handed to the police by the arm and had its headquarters in Cuttack.
The report stated that according
to the AG's office, the expenses were around 500,000 rupees ($10,260) a year. P-mail, as
carrier pigeons are sometimes known, were extensively used in Orissa during
floods in 1982 and a cyclone in 1999, as radio networks were disrupted. Those pigeons
retired from the service at that time were reportedly given to the state's
wildlife department.
With regards – S.
Sampathkumar
22nd Aug 2013.
