Animals at War: How Pigeons, Rats, Cats, and Dolphins Were Turned into Weapons

The famous dog Patron isn’t the only four-legged hero in recent conflicts. Throughout history, various cultures have enlisted dogs, horses, camels, and even elephants not just for farming but for warfare. Humanity has also tested warm-blooded animals as missile, aviation, and torpedo weapons.

Pigeons

It’s hard to overstate military pigeons’ role in combat. During the last war, carrier pigeons were sometimes the only way scouts could relay crucial information to command. But in wartime, these birds of peace did more than deliver messages. In training, the winged messengers were also taught to carry incendiary devices.

A pigeon with an incendiary device

At the communications school, the birds were trained to identify targets. Each pigeon underwent a month-long training regimen. Their task was to dive toward fuel tanks and other flammable structures. When the 130-gram projectile detached from the bird, the pigeon had little chance of survival. Upon ignition, a half-meter-high flame erupted, burning through aluminum tank walls and roofing iron. According to some reports, out of 3,000 combat pigeons, two-thirds perished.

Project “Pigeon”

Similar “organic control” projects existed during World War II in the United States. They were aptly named Project Pigeon and Orcon (Organic Control). A biological guidance system for guided weapons was designed around the homing pigeon. Three lenses on the nose of the missile projected an image of the target onto a screen in front of the bird. The trained pigeon would peck at the image, steering the projectile toward the target.

Rodents

Since World War II, combat mice have been used as saboteurs by some armies. Silent aircraft would drop these rodents into enemy equipment storage areas. The little creatures would infiltrate closed hangars, gnaw through wires, and damage components, rendering military equipment inoperable.

A rat-sapper at work

In modern times, Belgian military zoologists have found a use for large African rats, training them to detect landmines. Their sense of smell is nearly as good as a dog’s, and their small size lets them avoid triggering mines. Today, rat-sappers carry out humanitarian missions in Mozambique and other countries, helping clear away the deadly remnants of past conflicts.

Cats

In the 1960s, U.S. intelligence welcomed a new “employee”: a spy cat. This was a literal cyborg—a listening device and transmitter all in one. A “bug” microphone was implanted in the animal’s ear, a battery was placed in its chest, a micro-transmitter sat near the base of its skull, and its spine, including back and tail, served as the antenna. This four-legged spy cyborg cost the CIA $15 million, and the specialized training lasted five years.

Unfortunately, the money and effort proved to be in vain. On its very first mission to eavesdrop on a conversation at the embassy, it met with disaster. The poor creature was struck by a taxi just after being released into a park in Washington.

In 1967, the Acoustic Kitty project was shut down. Even then, a cat roamed the White House. Feline companions appear at intergovernmental meetings in London and Moscow, but seasoned members of the diplomatic corps remain wary of eavesdropping.

Seals and Dolphins

Today, there are only two centers for training aquatic “fighters” for special operations: one in San Diego and one in Sevastopol. The idea of training seals to detect underwater mines goes back to trainer Vladimir Durov in 1915. Experimental training of the first two dozen “recruits” showed the mammals excelled at locating underwater explosives and placing training magnetic mines on vessels.

However, that first batch of trained seals never saw combat: one night they were all poisoned, and the culprits were never identified.

After the Americans launched a similar project, the Soviet Union revisited the idea of animal “special forces.” Since the late 1960s, Kozacha Bay has hosted “soldiers of the depths.” In the Sevastopol military aquarium, animals were trained to neutralize saboteurs, locate underwater mines, and recover sunken torpedoes. During the Soviet era, about 150 dolphins and 50 seals patrolled the Black Sea.

A dolphin responds to its instructor’s gestures (Photo: commons.wikimedia.org)

Declassified materials show that the tradition of using living beings in military roles took root in several countries.