Date: 5-7 July 2016

No matter If pigeons are in the city squares in London or Venice, on the rooftops of New York or Damascus, in the coops of Istanbul or Berlin, or in formal million-dollar racing competitions in Barcelona or Sun City; they are culturally playing a prominent role in shaping people’s interactions and experiences. In pre-colonial and colonial periods, pigeon flying in India was associated with the ruling classes and many Mughal kings were avid pigeon fanciers. But despite the elite embrace, pigeon flyers in contemporary Pakistani society are devalued and chastised by the general public as addicted to a wasteful activity. Drawing on my 10 months of ethnographic fieldwork with pigeon flyers in South Punjab, I discuss the current status of pigeon flyers and examine why they are not ready to leave this activity, which most of the time results in insult, disgrace, and humiliation from the general public. In explaining this, I argue that it is a knowledge of self and nonhuman ‘others’ through which pigeon flyers control pigeons, cherish them, involve them in ‘sporting’ activities, and take them as surrogates of themselves. By examining the human-animal intimacy that develops during feeding, training, and flying pigeons, I contend that the animals are animating the different spheres of flyers values such as care, love, hard work, friendship, and family responsibilities. I suggest that pigeon flying should not be seen as only an ‘interest’ or ‘hobby’; instead it is an avenue through which one can understand the changing values of Pakistani society.