GPS tracking technology serves a wide range of purposes. It has helped us respond faster to emergencies, more accurately track flight traffic, keep an eye on society’s more dangerous citizens and better understand the migration patters of endangered species. Unfortunately, there is no way to prove what the information gathered is used for, which can spark paranoia along hostile borders. As crazy as it might sound, some middle eastern countries have taken to the idea that enemy countries are using wildlife to spy across borders.
“We trapped and marked six great white pelicans with satellite GSM and GPS transmitters and wing tags,” said avian ecologist Ohad Hatzofe, from Israel‘s Nature and Parks Authority (NPA). “It was used to monitor and better understand pelican movements. . . None of it is for espionage, as sometimes we are accused of by our neighbors in the Middle East, unfortunately.”
One of the great white pelicans equipped with a GPS tracking device was caught in a Sudanese fisherman’s net. Fortunately, the man decided to bypass handing the equipment over to authorities, and instead sent an email to a German address that was listed on the equipment.
“Birds know no political boundaries,” said Hatzofe. “We can be enemies or have disputes on water or borders or other issues, but birds and other wildlife belongs to all of us and we have to cooperate,” he added. “We actually do have cooperation across the borders with some colleagues in countries that we are technically enemies. Ignorance causes these stupid beliefs that they are used for spying.”
The paranoia is exacerbated by reports from Saudi Arabia and Iran, of captured animal spies. In 2007, Iran’s IRNA news agency announced the arrest of 14 squirrels serving as spies from the West. More recently, Saudi Arabia reported capturing an eagle, accused of being a Mossad spy. Hopefully, with more understanding and public access to information, these zoological conspiracy theories will come to an end.
Article Written by Marisa O’Connor
