Flying spy? Seagull with made in China GPS tracker found on Karnataka beach; sparks buzz

KARWAR: A GPS-tagged migratory seagull on Karwar beach on Wednesday sparked curiosity and suspicion in equal measure among locals, before forest officials clarified that the device was part of a scientific study tracking migration pattern of birds.

The exhausted bird fitted with the tracking device was rescued by forest department officials after locals noticed the unusual attachment and raised an alert.


The bird, which appeared tired and had sustained minor injuries, was brought to the forest department office for examination. Officials confirmed that the device was a GPS tracker used for scientific research to study migration patterns.

Forest department sources said they contacted the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society of Sri Lanka (WNPS), which confirmed that it had tagged the bird as part of a long-term migration study. Although the tracker was manufactured in China — a common source for such equipment — authorities ruled out any surveillance or espionage angle.

A section of the media went on an overdive speculating that the tracker may be a spy camera as the INS Kadamba naval base was nearby. However, officials clarified that the device contained no camera.

Data retrieved from the tracker indicated that the seagull had flown over 10,000 km, including across Arctic regions, before reaching Karwar. After the GPS unit was safely removed, the bird was moved to the forest department office.

Police and intelligence officials visited the beach to verify details and confirmed that the incident posed no security concern.

Authorities urged the public not to spread misinformation, stressing that GPS tagging is a standard practice in wildlife research to study migratory routes of avians.