Paragliders are accustomed to breathtaking aerial views of some of the world’s most iconic landmarks, but what they encountered while soaring over Egypt’s Great Pyramids earlier this week left them in disbelief — a stray dog casually hanging out at the summit of one of the ancient wonders.
US paraglider Marshall Mosher and his fellow adventurers were flying above the Pyramids of Giza at sunrise when they spotted an unusual sight atop the Khafre Pyramid, the second tallest of the ancient structures, which stands at an impressive 448 feet (136 meters).
“We saw something darting around up there,” Mosher told CNN Travel. “At first, someone thought it might be a mountain lion.”
The group quickly zoomed in with their phones to get a better look, only to realize it was a stray dog seemingly chasing birds at the top of the pyramid, which is normally off-limits to humans.
At first, Mosher was concerned for the dog’s safety. “My first thought was, ‘How did it get up there? Is it trapped?'” he recalled. However, those concerns quickly faded as he watched the dog move confidently along the peak.
“If he managed to climb up, he’ll probably find his way down. Unless, of course, there’s a secret teleportation portal we don’t know about,” Mosher joked.
The next day, still curious about the dog’s fate, the paragliders flew over the pyramids again, but the dog was nowhere to be seen. Later, a fellow adventurer captured footage of what appeared to be the same dog descending from the pyramid, seemingly safe and sound.
Viral Sensation
While it’s unclear if it was the same dog, as there are hundreds of stray dogs roaming the Pyramids complex, Mosher shared that many strays are often seen lounging near the base of the ancient structures. Inspired by the sight, Mosher has since been searching for animal shelters in Cairo to help provide a safer environment for these stray dogs.
The video of the dog’s high-altitude adventure quickly went viral, amassing millions of views on Instagram overnight. Despite having shared many other thrilling moments of his paragliding journeys, Mosher was surprised by the massive reaction this particular video received.
“I thought flying over the pyramids was fascinating enough, but everyone’s more interested in the dog’s adventure,” Mosher laughed.
Some social media users even speculated about the mystical symbolism of the event, drawing comparisons between the stray dog and Anubis, the ancient Egyptian god of the afterlife, often depicted as having the head of a jackal.
Mosher, who frequently paraglides over the pyramids as part of an annual flying event organized by SkyOne Egypt, shared his humorous take on the dog’s unusual climb.
“Honestly, I get it. If I were a street dog in Cairo, that’s probably the best view I could find too,” he joked.
Originally covered in CNN Travel.
