Hazards along the way are numerous, including obstacles such as pylons and television aerials and the ever-present threat of hungry birds of prey.

The Adventures of Bob the Pigeon and Mr Todd (Paperback)

It's thought that Bob, whose racing career has now come to an end, may have caught a lift on a cruise liner or an oil tanker to get to the US.It is thought that Bob may have caught a lift on a cruise liner or an oil tanker to arrive, 4,300 miles away from home, in Alabama, rather than flying back home. It is 380 miles as the crow flies from Guernsey to Gateshead but, in the case of Bob the racing pigeon, it has ended up being quite a bit longer. The Geordie flyer turned up 4,300 miles away in Alabama, having apparently hitched a transatlantic ride aboard a ship. Bob was a prized racing pigeon (though we’re not sure how great his sense of direction is, judging by this incident).

pigeon Bob found 4,000 miles away in Alabama - BBC Missing homing pigeon Bob found 4,000 miles away in Alabama - BBC

He said: 'I think the general public really latched onto this story and it's spread through the entire country and across the world, people from all over the world were talking about Bob in Australia, America, Germany, and more. Megan Bryan from the shelter said: "We gathered he was in a race near Guernsey and I guess he got lost and hitched a ride on a cargo ship and made it to Alabama. The team at the animal shelter nursed Bob back to full health after he arrived looking a little worse for wear but despite the love he's received here, home is where the heart is for this homing pigeon. Most purchases from business sellers are protected by the Consumer Contract Regulations 2013 which give you the right to cancel the purchase within 14 days after the day you receive the item. It was there that carers scanned his microchip and realised Bob belonged to Alan thousands of miles away in Gateshead.

Concerned, he phoned the Monroe County Alabama Animal Shelter, where Megan Bryan and Monica Hardy took him in. When Bob finally landed in the US, he showed up in the garden of a man in Mexia, Monroe County, and refused to leave, despite the owner’s best efforts at shooing him away. Since Bob has arrived back in the UK, Alan has been doing all he can to ensure his pal is back to normal. Bob’s story resonated with us, we’re doing everything we can to support the mission to bring him home.

pigeon accidentally ends up thousands of miles Lost homing pigeon accidentally ends up thousands of miles

Big-hearted Alan has set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for cancer charity Marie Curie and the Monroe County Animal Shelter in Alabama. His condition’s not there yet like the rest of the racing pigeons – the water just runs off them but he was soaked, his feathers were soaked. Mr Todd is very grateful for those who who helped his fundraiser to get Bob back home as well as the various organisations that covered his travel expenses. Mr Todd had to fundraise to be able to get to Alabama and bring back Bob, but his story was so popular that he had some extra to be able to donate to the shelter. And with the support of IAG Cargo in partnership with British Airways and others we plan to take the retired financial advisor to collect Bob in person from the US.

The emotional cry of murdered Yousef Makki's sister: I kept my promise mum… It took four years but now. TikToker hunted by police over sickening pro-Palestine mice attacks at McDonald's restaurants in Birmingham. A dedicated racing pigeon owner has been reunited with his prized bird after flying 4,000 miles to Alabama to bring it back to the UK after it got lost on its way home. It is common practice in the world of pigeon racing to take animals across the Channel to France for races, although post-Brexit bureaucracy means that the Channel Islands have become a more straightforward destination to visit.