Seagull with Chinese device found near INS Kadamba; security beefed up following espionage rumours

BENGALURU: Concerns were raised following the discovery of a migratory bird with a Chinese device attached to its rear end, near INS Kadamba naval base. Security agencies launched an investigation to confirm whether it was a study on migratory patterns or a Chinese espionage operation.

The seagull was found in a debilitated condition at Thimmakka Garden on Karwar's Rabindranath Tagore Beach on Tuesday. It had suffered minor injuries. Locals, sensing something unusual, informed the forest department and then the naval base authorities.

The inspection revealed that the bird was fitted with a Chinese-made GPS device. Following the incident, the naval base was put on high alert.

Such devices are often fitted to migratory birds for scientific research. The Wildlife and Nature Conservation Society (WNPS) of Sri Lanka has been contacted for details.

The device belongs to the Chinese Academy of Sciences. It also has the marking of the Research Centre for Eco-Environmental Sciences under it. More information will be revealed in the technical analysis of the device. The seagull arrived after flying more than 10,000 kilometres, including in the Arctic region.

INS Kadamba in Karwar is the headquarters of Project Seabird, India's largest naval infrastructure development project. It is also the headquarters of the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya. In November 2024, a GPS-equipped eagle was spotted near Baithkol port in Karwar.