Bob the homing pigeon aiming for Gateshead ends up 4,300 miles away in Alabama

It was a case of ‘sweet home Alabama’ for Bob the homing pigeon
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A prized homing pigeon who took an extremely wrong turn has ended up on the other side of the Atlantic.

When Bob set off from Guernsey three weeks ago, he was supposed to have a smooth journey to Gateshead in the north east.

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But instead he ended up on a transatlantic odyssey that took him all the way to Alabama in the United States - more than 4,300 miles away from his intended destination.

Bob eventually turned up in Mexia, Monroe County, and caused a flutter after refusing to leave an elderly gentleman’s home.

Bob the pigeon has ended up in Alabama. Picture: Monroe County Alabama Animal ShelterBob the pigeon has ended up in Alabama. Picture: Monroe County Alabama Animal Shelter
Bob the pigeon has ended up in Alabama. Picture: Monroe County Alabama Animal Shelter

The homeowner turned to the Monroe County Alabama Animal Shelter for help and it was here that Bob’s wrong turn was discovered.

In a post on Facebook, the shelter said: “After arriving back at the shelter both Monica and Megan Bryan started working on tracking down the owner.

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“They were able to get the numbers off the band, but also used our microchip scanner to help track down a webpage called North of England Homing Union.

“The ladies follow the instructions and was immediately contacted back by the owner! 4000 miles away in North East of England.

“We are currently working on a game plan to return this champion pigeon to its owner, which was extremely happy to hear from us.

“4000 miles! Wish us luck on getting this lost stray home.”

ITV News reports that despite travelling such a distance Bob is said to be in a good condition.

He is a little underweight, but an American vet thinks this is due to flying thousands of miles.

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