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GIZA, Egypt — Soaring high into the sky, paragliders are used to enjoying fascinating aerial views of some of the world's most famous ancient landmarks. But the landmarks don't usually have dogs hanging out on top of them.
While flying over Egypt's famous Great Pyramids at sunrise earlier this week, U.S. paraglider Marshall Mosher and fellow paragliders spotted the unexpected sight of a stray hound also taking in views around the summit of one of the ancient wonders.
"We noticed something running back and forth on top of the pyramid," Mosher told CNN Travel. "One person thought it was a mountain lion."
The adventurers quickly grabbed their phones and zoomed in to the top of Khafre, the second tallest pyramid — which is off-limits to humans — only to find a dog seemingly chasing some birds at the summit of the 448-foot-tall structure.
Mosher recalls feeling a bit concerned. "Maybe he was stuck up there," he thought. But his worries soon faded.
"If he got himself up, he can get himself down unless he found some secret portal that helped him teleport to the top of the pyramids," he joked.
The next day, curious to see if the dog was still there, they flew over the pyramid again, with no luck. However, a fellow adventurer shot a video of what appeared to be the same dog safely making its way down the pyramid.
Going viral
It's unclear whether it was the same animal, since hundreds of stray dogs roam the Pyramids complex, some often seen close to the base, Mosher explained. The paraglider says he is actively looking for animal shelters in Cairo to help these strays find safer, less adventurous homes.
The videos of the dog quickly went viral on social media, with Mosher's first post getting millions of views on Instagram overnight.
Although Mosher has been creating content for a few years, he was surprised by the wide interest in the dog's adventure. "I thought the opportunity to fly over the pyramids was decently interesting news, but no one cares about that," he said.
Some online commentators have drawn a connection between the dog and Anubis, the ancient Egyptian god of the dead, often depicted as a man with a jackal head.
Mosher regularly paraglides over the Great Pyramids of Giza as part of an annual flying event organized by SkyOne Egypt, which offers a unique way to explore the iconic site.
"I can see why the dog wanted to go up there. It's definitely the best view for (a) Cairo street dog that I can think exists," he said.
