Taro and Jiro: Antarctica's Survivors

Taro and Jiro became famous dogs in history for their will to live when left behind in Antarctica, having survived on their own for 11 months in extremely harsh conditions.

Taro and Jiro greeted by the men from the expedition that found them.

Taro and Jiro, three year old male siblings, were the youngest of 15 sled dogs of the first Japanese expedition to Antarctica that started in January 1957. The dogs were Sakhalin huskies, known in Japan as Karafuto-ken, a beloved Japanese dog that was well-suited to snowy climates.

The first team, consisting of 11 researchers, were to be replaced by another team in February 1958. However, before the second team could arrive a strong and unexpected storm approached causing the first team to be evacuated by helicopter and the second team to be suspended. Unfortunately, the dogs had to be left behind. They were chained and given food to last them for a few days, when the team had hoped to return for them. Sadly, the men could not return until the following year.

On January 14, 1959, the expedition returned to the base in Antarctica. The men were expecting to find the 15 dogs dead but only seven (Aka, Goro, Pochi, Moku, Kuro, Pesu and Kuma from Monbetsu) lost their lives while still chained. The other eight dogs had managed to break free from the chains. Amazingly two of the dogs, Taro and Jiro, were found alive near the base. The remaining six (Riki, Anko, Deri, Jakku, Shiro and Kuma from Furen - this Kuma was the father of Taro and Jiro) were never found.

Taro and Jiro were able to survive the 11 months in extreme conditions without human support, and apparently did not resort to eating the bodies of their fellow dogs. Yasukazu Kitamura, Professor Emeritus of Kyushu University and caretaker of the dogs, described "The stored foods for human and dog in Showa base were intact. Some types of dogs have to cannibalism during the famine. Seven dogs were found in dead which were connected to chains, while the bodies were intact. I think that Sakhalin dogs ate penguins, feces of seal, seabirds and fishes (trapped in the ice)."

Taro and Jiro stayed in Antarctica to pull sleds for the new expedition. In 1960 Jiro died of a disease in Antarctica and in 1961 Taro returned to his hometown Sapporo and lived at Hokkaido University until he died of old age in 1970. Taro's body was embalmed and is on display at the Museum of National Treasures at the Botanical Garden of Hokkaido University, and Jiro's body was embalmed and is on display at the National Museum of Nature and Science in Tokyo - the same museum where Hachiko (Japan's most loyal dog) is on display.

One of the monuments (part of it) honoring the dogs that were left behind.

Monuments were erected in Japan honoring Taro, Jiro and the dogs who lost their lives, and two movies were made based on their story - Nankyoku Monogatari in 1983 and Eight Below in 2006.

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Two Bits: Survived Falling 600 Feet - Twice!

Two Bits became famous in history as a war hero on the home front in the US during WWII for not giving up his fun of chasing chipmunks despite his two falls over a cliff while doing so.

Two Bits inside the lookout building

During the winter of 1942-1943, Bill Ziegler with his dog Two Bits and another man worked for the Army Air Corps in the remote wilderness of Rogue River National Forest in Oregon. A 14 by 14 foot lookout facility sat on top of Whiskey Peak, 6,497 feet above ground, next to a near-vertical 600 foot drop to the valley below. The facility was a US Forest Service fire spotting point that the army took over during WWII as part of its Aircraft Warning Service. The two men were to observe the western skies for enemy aircraft until the new technology of radar could be installed in strategic places.

Whiskey Peak

Two Bits was a fox terrier who loved to chase the chipmunks that hung around begging for food. By February, the snow on the summit was abundant and ice had formed over the nearby cliff. One day Two Bits went running after the rodents with too much enthusiasm near the edge of the cliff. He skidded across the ice and fell over the ledge. Ziegler, who was a good distance away, saw his poor dog go over. The distraught man walked to the point where Two Bits fell, looked at the 600 foot drop and knew there was no way his beloved dog could have survived the plunge.

About a week later, Ziegler was on a nearby trail when he was amazed to see Two Bits climbing slowly up toward him with his head down and his tongue hanging out. The dog was tired but still managed to happily wag his tail. Apparently Two Bits had fallen into a deep snowdrift that cushioned his fall, was able to dig himself out and make the long trek back to his owner. After he got some food in his belly and much needed rest, the spunky dog went back to his normal routine.

You would think Two Bits learned his lesson, but a few weeks later he took the same plunge. Again, Zeigler assumed the worst, but to his amazement the determined dog made it back to the top of Whiskey Peak a few days later.

Once his duty was over, Zeigler and Two Bits returned to their Jacksonville home. The news of the dog surviving two falls over the cliff "without physical impairment or loss of morale" went national. The Medford Mail Tribune and even Life magazine hailed Two Bits as a war hero and canine symbol of Home Front "stolidity and determination."

Two Bits lived a good life and passed away a few years after the war ended.

Dog and Sheep Survive After Rancher's Death

In the late 1800s, after his master's death, a herding dog survived on his own and continued tending the flock of sheep for two years.

In the 1870s, a rancher who lived in a remote area in New Mexico passed away. Apparently, it was just him, his dog and his flock of sheep. For two years, until the rancher's body was discovered by visitors, the dog (name and type of dog are unknown) continued to tend to the sheep. His job was to guide the flock of sheep to the pasture every morning to graze, guard them, and return them back to the ranch before the end of the day. It is said the sheep were well taken care of, and the number of sheep actually increased, despite the dog having to kill some as a food source to keep himself alive. It's reported that the dog was awarded a pension by the New Mexico legislature in 1879 for his dedication and hard work.