Bosnia: 'Hero' carrier pigeons reduced to racing

SARAJEVO

Pigeons are often called irritating by urban residents as they constantly look for breadcrumbs, settle on residents’ balconies and window sills and travel in large groups leaving droppings over widespread areas.

But their current bad reputation obscures the fact pigeons in the past were lauded as life-saving heroes. 

Carrier pigeons have been used for thousands of years to deliver messages sent over long distances and so played an important role in wars.

And yet, today, their value has significantly decreased.

Their ability to pass the enemy unnoticed when phone or radio lines were cut off led to carrier pigeons playing a significant role in World War I and WWII.

They have also been used in different periods of history including during the 1992-1995 Bosnian War, when telecommunication facilities were extensively damaged.

Trained to race

Carrier pigeons, also known as war pigeons, were the main communication tool used in Bosnia and their reliability and effectiveness saved the lives of thousands of people across the country. 

The end of the Bosnian War and technology’s rapid development has led to Bosnian carrier pigeons being cast aside - no longer delivering important post, but instead being trained to race in competitions.

Sarajevo’s oldest pigeon breeder, 74-year-old Ramiz Recep, started breeding pigeons in his early childhood and has since spent most of his time with the birds, he told Anadolu Agency.

The veteran breeder said: "Carrier pigeons had delivered and sent messages in the period when there were no telephones, faxes or internet and had sometimes saved lives of the people, to whom they delivered a message.

"But today they are only trained for various races."

Recep, who has 85 pigeons, said he participates in various competitions abroad but added: “This is an extremely expensive sport.”

Gone missing

He said transportation was needed to take the pigeons to compete, along with other necessary materials including visas required to enter certain countries.

 Another Bosnian pigeon breeder, Rusmir Pepelyak, who owns 25 pigeons, participates in and organises competitions.

He said: "These pigeons fly in 1,000 kilometer-long distance races and 150 kilometer-distance races, but sometimes they do not return."

There are more than one hundred carrier pigeons and about 35 associations in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

But, despite their decline in favor, carrier pigeons can still fetch a high price, with one recently selling for €250,000 ($272,000).