Casual Animals

The transmission of information has always been of critical importance throughout history. Therefore, states have employed numerous methods to gather intelligence and defend against it, including the use of animals.

The use of animals in intelligence operations dates back to antiquity. The first documented instance occurred in 1907 when German Julius Neubronner used trained pigeons equipped with cameras to photograph enemy positions during World War I.

Pigeons fitted with cameras. (Flickr)

During World War II, MI14(d), a unit under British intelligence, established a secret organization known as the “Secret Pigeon Service.” This operation involved dropping birds by parachute over occupied Europe to retrieve information collected via questionnaire-like devices. Over a thousand pigeons returned with messages containing details of V-1 rocket launch sites and German radar stations.

In fact, a message from a resistance group named Leopold Vindictive resulted in a 12-page intelligence report delivered directly to British Prime Minister Winston Churchill at the time. It is known that pigeons involved in Operation Columba were awarded medals for their success.

Outside of modern and recent history, the Cold War era saw the most intensive use of animals as spies. The variety of animals employed and the scope of their applications expanded significantly during this period. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) used pigeons through various methods to obtain images of sensitive areas within the Soviet Union (USSR) that were of strategic importance. During the same period, dead mice were fitted with listening devices and deployed, exploiting the fact that humans would avoid approaching them.

A dead mouse fitted with a listening device. (Spy Museum)

Operation Tacana

In the 1960s, the CIA conducted research on pigeons and crows to train them to deliver and retrieve small objects weighing up to 40 grams. Alongside this, experiments were carried out to remotely control dogs by applying electrical stimulation to their brains.

As a result of all these efforts, it was concluded that the pigeon was the most effective terrestrial and aerial animal for espionage. In the mid-1970s, cameras were mounted on two birds flying above a prison and a naval shipyard in Washington DC. The cameras, which weighed 35 grams and cost $2,000, captured 140 photographs on a single film roll, half of which were of high quality, clearly showing moving people and inanimate objects.

A pigeon trained and equipped with a camera for image collection. ()

Various techniques were tested during trials, such as releasing a pigeon from a moving automobile traveling at 80 km/h or from the window of a car passing beneath a heavy coat. The ultimate goal was to release the bird several kilometers from its target, allowing it to fly over the area of interest before returning to its known nest.

The Continued Use of Pigeons

Today, thanks to technologies such as unmanned aerial, land, and maritime vehicles, pigeons and other animals no longer play the same role in espionage as they once did. Consequently, Operation Tacana has become a footnote in history books.

However, this does not mean that CIA has entirely abandoned the use of animals.

It is worth recalling that suspicions of “spy birds” persist to this day between neighboring Pakistan and India. Pigeons carrying notes and microchips have been captured—and even arrested—in recent years.

Acoustic Kitty

Cats have also been tested by intelligence agencies. In 1960, the CIA conceived an operation to gather intelligence from within the Soviet Embassy.

A cat. (Pikrepo)

The operation, named “Acoustic Kitty,” planned to implant a microphone in a cat’s ear and a radio transmitter beneath its skull. After five years of preparatory work, a 4-inch transmitter was installed and wired from the cat’s ear to its tail.

However, the project ended in tragicomic failure. Cats, by nature independent and disobedient, proved difficult to control. During a field test, the cat was released near a park bench in front of the Soviet Embassy where two men were conversing. The cat wandered off and was struck and killed by a passing vehicle. The CIA concluded the operation was impractical and canceled it in 1967.

Marine Spies

The innate sensory and auditory capabilities of marine animals, particularly dolphins, are well-documented scientific facts. These attributes have been exploited—and continue to be exploited—by rival nations, often surpassing the performance of artificial sensors. It is known that the United States has used dolphins for mine-clearing operations from recent history to the present day. 

Some researchers argue that these animals, due to their biological design, can achieve greater accuracy than artificial systems in detection and reconnaissance tasks. Examples include sharks, moths, and mice, which can meticulously detect traces of specific chemicals.

An illustration of Operation OXYGAS. (CIA)

Awareness of these capabilities led intelligence agencies to employ and continue employing such animals. In the 1960s, the Soviet and U.S. navies initiated training programs to use dolphins for detecting underwater mines, locating lost equipment, and identifying enemy divers. Later, under the secret OXYGAS project, the CIA trained dolphins to attach explosive devices to enemy vessels.

Equipment designed to enable dolphins to be used in intelligence operations. (CIA)

Another example of dolphins being used for intelligence purposes occurred in 2015 in the Mediterranean Sea. The Islamist resistance movement HAMAS announced it had captured a dolphin equipped with arrows and cameras by Israeli forces. HAMAS claimed the dolphin had been trained by Israel to observe and gather intelligence on Gaza-based commandos. Israel’s alleged use of marine animals was not limited to this incident; in 2010, Egypt accused Israel of directing sharks toward its coastlines to undermine tourism.

Another recent and intriguing case occurred in Norway. In 2019, a beluga whale, known as the “sea canary,” attracted the attention of Norwegian fishermen. Attached to its body was a camera harness inscribed with “Equipment St. Petersburg.” The incident became a major topic in Norway’s public discourse, dividing opinion: some believed it was part of a Russian naval program training aquatic animals for espionage, while others suggested it was being used for therapy for disabled children.

Earlier reports from British intelligence had strengthened the claim that Russia had trained dolphins in Crimea to detect and counter enemy divers and had established a marine mammal program. However, the Russian government has not confirmed this.

The whale was named “Hvaldimir,” a combination of the Norwegian word “Hval” (whale) and “dimir,” inspired by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Weighing 1,225 kg and measuring over four meters in length, Hvaldimir died in 2024 at the age of 15—less than half the average lifespan of its species. Before its death, Hvaldimir was observed along the Norwegian coast and was seen carrying a dropped action camera from a fisherman’s boat. Although some marine organizations claim the beluga did not die of natural causes, debates surrounding its death continue.