The story ofKarina Chikitova, deemed the “real-life Mowgli,” is a fascinating tale that mirrors that of Disney’sThe Jungle Book.
Ten years later, she’s opened up about how her loyal puppy saved her life and what she plans to do growing up.
HighlightsKarina survived 12 nights in Siberian forest with her loyal dog Naida.Now 14, Karina dreams of becoming a doctor despite ballet accolades.A statue in Yakutsk honors Karina and Naida’s tale of survival.
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Karina Chikitova, who survived 12 nights in Siberia, talked about her hopes of becoming a doctor
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“I don’t study at the Yakutsk ballet school anymore,” she stated, according toDaily Mail. “I moved to Arylahk… and I study at another school.”
When she was asked what she wanted to be, she replied, “A doctor,” amidst a round of warm applause.
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And while it was indeed legendary that she was able to survive in the remote Russianwilderness, especially as a three-year-old girl, Karina didn’t seem to remember much of what happened.
The interviewer asked, “You don’t remember anything?” to which she simply replied, “No.”
“This is my dog Naida,” Karina said, showing a picture of her Alsatian (German Shepherd). “She was with me in the forest, but I no longer remember how I played with her, [how she saved me]…”
Karina’s survival story made headlines after she defied the odds stacked against her
He wasn’t aware his daughter was following him, so he made no effort to slow his pace. After a while, Karina lost sight of her dad and found herself stranded in a forested area infested with bears and wolves.
It was out of pure luck that one of her family dogs — Naida — had followed her.
As dusk fell and temperatures plunged below zero, the two clung to one another. The dog’s fur was the only thing keeping Karina from freezing to death.
Adam Chippindale, a biology professor at Queen’s University, toldBored Pandathat one of the reasons why dogs are so undyingly loyal to their human owners is due to hormones like oxytocin, sometimes called the “love drug.”
Nearly two weeks passed until another human saw Karina
Back at home, the Chikitova family had alerted authorities of their missing daughter, knowing all too well the dangers that lurked in theSiberianwilderness.
100 individuals — including numerous helicopters — were searching to find the little girl but it was like trying to find “a needle in a haystack,” according to the outlet.
Nine days passed and yet, there was no sign of Karina. Yet her mother refused to give up hope.
“As a mother, I felt that she would be found,” she said.
And she was right.
Naida returned to Olom, but soon went back to where she came from, which led authorities to follow her. She first brought them to a swampy site, but Karina was still nowhere to be found.
Three days passed until the search team stumbled upon the little girl, bundled up in tall grass in an effort to keep herself warm.
Her rescuer, Artyom Borisov, described the emotional moment he laid eyes on her.
Image credits:The Siberian Times
“She was sitting deep in deep grass, completely silent,” he recalled. “I didn’t actually notice her. She saw me and stretched her arms forward. I picked her up — she was so tiny, so light, like fluff. She didn’t have shoes on.
It wasreportedthat her heartbreaking first words to her dog were: “Why did you leave me?”
Karina’s journey of resilience was memorialized in Yakutsk
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The rescue team immediately provided the little girl with water and food, including hot tea to keep her warm. She had lost a lot of weight and had a couple of injuries, but was expected to make a full recovery.
She spent a few days in the hospital before returning home to her family and describing what happened in those 12 long, terrifying days.
Later on, a statue of Karina and Naida was built in the Russian city ofYakutskto remember their story of “survival and companionship.”
Readers praised Karina’s strength and pointed out how her story proved the extent a dog would go to protect their human
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