Lost dog walks 150 miles on ice to come back home

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News websites
14 Apr 2023 13:49

Nanuq returned to Alaska after trekking a 150-mile journey that lasted a month, during which he was bitten.

Nanuq, the one-year-old Australian shepherd, after it was returned to Gambell, Alaska. (AP)

Over a month ago Mandy Iworrigan lost her 1-year-old Australian Shepherd named Nanuq while on a trip to Savoogna, only to retrieve him from Wales a month later.

Iworrigan, who resides in Gambell, Alaska, said her two dogs Nanuq and Starlight had disappeared while the family visited Savoogna, another St. Lawrence Island community located in the Bering Strait. While Starlight was found a few weeks later, Nanuq remained missing for an entire month.

She recounted the story of how Nanuq was found 150 miles northeast of Savoogna. According to the dog's owner, her father texted her saying "There's a dog that looks like Nanuq in Wales."

Following her father's message, Iworrigan reactivated her Facebook account to check it out and was shocked when she found out it was indeed her lost Nanuq.

The owner said she had "no idea why he ended up in Wales," suggesting "Maybe the ice shifted while he was hunting."

According to Iworrigan, Nanuq is a smart dog and eats Native food. As such, she said "I'm pretty sure he ate leftovers of seal or caught a seal. Probably birds, too."

Nanuq returned home from Wales after Iworrigan used her airline points to fly the dog back on the same plane that was "transporting athletes for the Bering Strait School District's Native Youth Olympics tournament."

The long-lost dog returned home mostly healthy, except for a swollen leg. While the journey will always remain a mystery, it was clear that Nanuq was bitten by an unidentified animal, given the large bite marks. Iworrigan said it could be a "Wolverine, seal, small nanuq [which means polar bear in Siberian Yupik], we don't know, because it's like a really big bite."