- Asproulis, a nine-month-old dog, survived nine days without food at 1,900 metres altitude
- The dog followed French ski mountaineers near Tsoukarela peak but got stranded in harsh terrain
- Greek mountaineers heard Asproulis' cries and rescued him after a desperate search
A story of a miraculous rescue has gone viral after a nine-month-old dog named Asproulis survived nine days without food at an altitude of 1,900 metres. The canine, whose name means 'Whitey' in Greek, lived with his owner, Christos Zacharis, who runs a traditional cafe in the village of Haliki. The ordeal began when Asproulis decided to follow a group of French ski mountaineers that had taken a pitstop at Zacharis' cafe.
While Asproulis managed to tail the hikers till near the summit, he could not make his way back due to the treacherous terrain, which proved too much for the pup. According to a report in the Greek newspaper Proto Thema, the dog managed to endure the freezing altitudes alone for over a week, sparking a desperate search for his whereabouts.
The miracle finally unfolded last Thursday (March 5) when a group of Greek mountaineers, who were already aware of the dog's disappearance, began an ascent toward Tsoukarela peak. As they climbed, they were stunned to hear desperate cries from the dog, stuck in the wilderness all alone.
Following the sounds, they discovered Asproulis alive against all odds, bringing a cheerful end to a rescue mission that has since captured hearts worldwide.
"We were climbing to reach the summit and as we were going up, we heard some cries. The little dog must have noticed us and seen us first. We hadn't seen him because he's white and blended into the snow, but he was calling for help," Marina Koraki, a member of the climbing team that rescued Asproulis, told the publication.
"So, our group split in two: most continued the ascent, and the more experienced climbers went to find the dog and carry out the rescue."
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Having endured without food for nine days, the hikers stated that the dog was so frail that the collar around its neck was hanging loosely. They fed Asproulis and began the descent before handing him to Zacharis, who was overjoyed. As soon as Asproulis got home, he calmly sat on the couch after his ordeal.
"When the dog came down with us, he went to each one of us as if to say thank you, he was almost crying," said Koraki.
Zacharis explained that the distance from where Asproulis was found takes about 3.5 hours to reach and the highest peak there is approximately 2,200 metres. Behind the peak, there is a cliff which must have spooked the pup, Zacharis added.
