The Biological GPS: The Science Behind Cher Ami, the WWI Hero Pigeon
October 1918. Amid the chaos of the Argonne Forest in France, more than 500 American soldiers from the "Lost Battalion" are trapped. Surrounded by enemy forces and taking casualties from friendly fire due to a lack of communication, their situation is desperate. Major Charles Whittlesey's last hope lies in a small creature: his last homing pigeon, named Cher Ami. A message is attached to his leg: "We are along the road parallel to 276.4. Our own artillery is dropping a barrage directly on us. For heaven's sake, stop it."
Upon release, Cher Ami is immediately hit by enemy fire. He falls but miraculously takes flight again. Twenty-five minutes later, he arrives at his loft, blind in one eye, shot through the breast, with a leg hanging only by a tendon—but with the message capsule still attached. Thanks to him, 194 soldiers were saved. Beyond his unquestionable bravery, a question echoes in the mind of any scientist or veterinarian: how?
How does a pigeon, even when wounded and under extreme stress, navigate with pinpoint accuracy over miles to return home? The answer lies not in magic, but in one of nature's most sophisticated guidance systems—a true biological GPS.