An Alaskan family is overjoyed to be reunited with their 1-year-old Australian Shepherd after the dog took an epic trek across 150 miles of frozen Bering Sea ice.
In March, while visiting relatives on the island of Savoogna on the Bering Straight, Nanuq, an Australian Shepherd, ran off and couldn’t be found. Unsuccessful in finding him, the family returned home to Gambell a few weeks after Nanuq went missing.
Weeks after that, Nanuq was photographed 150 miles away from where he was lost by locals in Wales, a community on the Alaskan coast.
The father of Nanuq’s owner, Mandy Iworrigan, saw the pictures on social media and shared them with his daughter.
Nanuk showed up in Wales, Alaska. Photo: Nome Chatter/Facebook
“My dad texted me and said, ‘There’s a dog that looks like Nanuq in Wales,'” she told CBS News/AP Press.
She checked Facebook and instantly recognized Nanuq. Iworrigan was stunned that her pup had made such a far journey in the freezing cold.
“I have no idea why he ended up in Wales. Maybe the ice shifted while he was hunting,” she said. “I’m pretty sure he ate leftovers of seal or caught a seal. Probably birds, too. He eats our Native foods. He’s smart.”
Iworrigan immediately arranged for Nanuq to be flown back home and filmed their reunion.
Nanuq appears to be in good shape considering his long ordeal. He does have a swollen leg with mysterious large bite marks – from what northern animal who can say?
Nanuk gets off plane in Gambell. Screenshot via Mandy Iworrigan
“Wolverine, seal, small nanuq [nanuq translates into polar bear], we don’t know, because it’s like a really big bite,” Iworrigan said. Nanuq is receiving veterinary care for his wounds with assistance from PAWS of Nome.
He’s happily settling back in at home with his family pack!
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