The Pigeon is man's close companion and exhibits no fear in his presence. Pigeons have a natural habit of returning unerringly to their homes after a flight. From the Khalif of Baghdad, Sultan Narrudin's regular post covering his entire state in 1146 AD., recorded pigeon messages have been used on many interesting occasions. The message of victory in the Battle of Waterloo sent from Waterloo to London in 1815 was a notable one. During World War I "Cheer-Am 1", a homing pigeon of the American Army, helped in saving a lost American battalion from being captured by the Germans. In India, Chandragupta Maurya, Emperor Ashok and the Mughal Emperors used pigeons as message carriers. The Orissa Police is the only state force in India to have adopted and maintained this method of communication since 1946.They procured 40 pigeons from the departing colonial government at the close of the Second World War. The force now has a strength of 1926 Homing Pigeons spread over 17 plice districts of the state.
The Orissa Police has achieved immense results in times of emergencies, natural calamities, riotous situations and times of stress and strain, by the use of carrier pigeons. During the Postal centenary celebrations of 1954 at Delhi the Homing Pigeons of the Orissa police gave a successful demonstration, by conveying the message of inauguration from the President to the Prime Minister. When the foundation stone of the largest, Hirakud, Dam was to be laid by Prime Minister Nehru on 13-4-48, he desired certain changes in the public meeting scheduled at Cuttack. The Homing pigeon of the State Police transported his message from Sambalpur to Cuttack 400 km. away in hours, to his great delight.
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