Why was a migratory seagull with Chinese GPS tracker found on Karnataka coast
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Why was a migratory seagull with Chinese GPS tracker found on Karnataka coast")
Representational Image Photograph: (AFP)
A Chinese GPS-tagged migratory seagull was found near INS Kadamba in Karnataka. Authorities probe whether it was scientific research or espionage.
On the Rabindranath Tagore Beach of the Karwar coastline of Karnataka, authorities had recovered a migratory seagull on Tuesday. The seagull was equipped with a Chinese GPS tracker. The coastline is situated approximately 25 km from the INS Kadamba naval base. The Coastal Marine Police handed over the bird to the forest department officials. The bird had a GPS and solar unit, with a note on it directing where the tracking device came from. It belonged to the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Was it really a science project or an espionage tactic?
The device recovered from the seagulls was sent for technical analysis. Initial assessment points that the bird was being used to study migratory patterns.
"Several angles are being examined, including whether the bird was part of a scientific research project to study migratory patterns," said Uttara Kananda, Superintendent of Police Deepan MN, as quoted by the NDTV.
The GPS tracker found on the seagull indicates that the bird flew over 10,000 km, including over the Arctic region, before reaching the coast of Karnataka. However, this has alerted the strategically important Naval base of INS Kadamba. It is at the centre of the Project Seabird, the largest naval infrastructure project of India. It is home to the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya and sits just outside the striking range of Pakistan. It is no secret that China has been asserting influence on the Indo-Pacific with different tactics, such as military modernisation and development of ports in the Indian Ocean, called the "String of Pearls" strategy of China. This is not the first instance; last year, in November 2024, another War Eagle was spotted near the Baithkol port in Karwar, which was found to be part of a wildlife research.
“At present, it appears to be part of a migratory bird research study. We will confirm the findings after detailed verification,” said an official aware of the issue to PTI.
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