Hvaldimir, the alleged Russian spy, has resurfaced in the waters of Sweden. While that sounds ominous, it’s where he is meant to be: Hvaldimir is a beluga whale.
The whale is not the first animal to — allegedly — be used as a spy. There is a long history of animals being used in military conflict.
Manchester Metropolitan University lecturer Gervase Phillips is an expert on animals involved in war and espionage. He joins host Robin Young for more.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.