These Animals Will Help Deliver Your Mail

CUTER (albeit slower) ways to get your messages delivered

Pigeons

Via olx.com

Homing pigeons are great mail carriers because they have an innate homing instinct. This means that they will usually return to their nest and their mate (aww) which they can somehow find from hundreds of miles away! (get it, science) The only downside to this mode of mail delivery is that for carrier pigeons to work you have to be in possession of a pigeon whose home is where you want to send your letter.

Dogs

Via dogspired.com

Unfortunately, dogs aren't usually trained to carry mail on their own (because they slobber all over the letters.) They can, however, pull a mail sled! And that they do quite well. Remember Balto?

Camels

Via naa.gov

Camels have been used to pull mail coaches, but they can also carry bags of mail on their humps. In Australia, post workers would tie camels loaded with mail together in a train and set off to deliver the mail. The last camel train was documented in 1925.

Owls

Via http://tumblr

Ok, so this is actually fictional. Owls only deliver mail in the world of Harry Potter, because apparently in reality they don't have the homing instincts necessary to deliver mail. So, until we can find a way to enchant owls with magic they won't deliver our mail, which is sad because who doesn't want a pet Hedwig?

Horses

Via http://tumblr

The Pony Express was a mail service that delivered mail across the United States by horseback in the 1860s. It was the fastest way to get a letter from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California.

Reindeer

Via http://tumblr

They aren't just for pulling Santa's Sleigh! In Alaska, reindeer also pulled sleds of mail.

Cows

Via http://tumblr

In Germany, cows were once used to pull mail wagons as well as for milk and meat. Also, all of the mailmen were actually milkmaids. (just kidding, I made that up.)

Foxes

Via nj.gov

This is also fictional. In the film "Robin Hood: Men in Tights," the men send a message via fox. It is actually a pun on "send a fax." But we can dream, right?

Cats

Via dashburst.com

Apparently, a city in Belgium once tried to train cats to deliver their mail. It didn't work however, because the cats were too unreliable....somehow, I'm not surprised.