In a time where every conversation is just a click away, thanks to the mobile phones, Odisha police has been able to keep date with pigeon post and continues to train domestic pigeons as messengers. Odisha Police Pigeon Service is considered as the oldest and probably the only active official pigeon service in the world. In a rare show of man-animal bond, homing pigeons trained by humans continue to be as accurate as they were over seven decades back in route mapping. On Saturday Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (Intach), Bhubaneswar Chapter organised ‘Heritage Pigeon Flight’ to mark the state’s heritage and promote its preservation.

For the event, 24 pigeons of Odisha Police were brought in two crates from Odisha Police headquarters in Cuttack to Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) ground. Messages on heritage conservation and preservation were written on a paper which were rolled up and inserted into plastic capsules which were attached to the legs of the pigeons. The birds were released from the crates and they flew to their lofts in Cuttack along with the messages. The message titled ‘Pigeonogram’ also mentioned about Odia New Year.

Pradeep Kumar Mishra, Additional SP, Communications, Odisha Police said, “These pigeons are imparted special training. Before commencing a flight, these birds are generally fed and are made to drink potash water so that they can fly non-stop to their destination and do not stop anywhere else to take food.” These birds are different from traditional pigeons as they have larger beaks and wattles, round heads, thicker napes and red eyes.

Odisha Police Pigeon Service has consistently rendered valuable service during emergencies including the devastating 1999 Super Cyclone when the messenger pigeons proved effective in sending messages after a communication blackout following the storm. The pigeon mail services are also displayed during the Independence Day and Republic Day parades. The pigeons belong to the species which were widely used for spying and delivering messages during the Second World War.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 15, 2018 08:35 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).