Miracle Girl, Age 3, Saved By Hero Puppy After Surviving 11 Days Lost In Siberia Wilderness


In Siberia, where the climate is notoriously cold and brutal, a little, lost three-year-old girl somehow managed to survive 11 days before being found and rescued over the weekend. And in what sounds like a story right out of Lassie, it was the girl’s beloved and loyal puppy who not only kept her warm during the frigid Siberian nights as she slept out in the open, but finally led searchers to her location.

Even more miraculous, the little girl came through her ordeal with no injuries more serious than mosquito bites — though she was bitten dozens of times.

In what appears to be a catastrophic mix-up between the parents and grandmother of Karina Chikitova, each thought the other was caring for the little girl. As a result, her family did not even realize she was missing for an entire four days. At least that’s the story they told to rescuers.

But authorities aren’t sure they buy it, and are currently investigating whether Karina’s parents should be charged with child neglect.

According to an account in The Siberian Times newspaper, Karina was under the care of her grandmother while her parents were working for several days in a distant field, collecting hay. But the girl’s father was called away to help fight a wildfire. He returned briefly to the family’s home, then departed on foot.

As he walked away, the girl and her puppy, Kyrachaan — which means “little one” in the local language — tagged along behind.

But the dad said he didn’t know they were there, while the grandma thought the whole time that Karina was with her father. The girl’s mom was still working the field and was not yet home. Only when she returned did the family realize that no one knew where Karina had gone.

They had no idea that the whole time, Karina was lost with her dog, as temperatures dropped to 42 degrees Fahrenheit. But the resourceful little girl made herself makeshift blankets out of the long grasses that grow in the region. At night, her little dog cuddled with her, keeping her warm and likely saving her life.

During the day, the girl drank water from a nearby river and foraged for wild berries. But cold, dehydration and starvation were far from the only dangers little Karina and her faithful dog faced. The area is known for the wild bears and wolves that roam the forest there.

In fact, when some in the team of more than 100 rescuers went looking for Karina, at one point they were forced to stop when they confronted a fearsome bear.

After nine days, the puppy Kyrachaan left Karina in a hole for shelter and went back to the village. The dog then led rescuers back to the girl’s hiding place, where the tall grass had rendered her invisible to search helicopters.

With unreliable phone service in the remote region, authorities in Siberia say the story of a communication breakdown over Karina’s whereabouts is at least plausible, but they still want to know how the girl was allowed to wander into the Siberia forest alone, except for her heroic little dog.

Share this article: Miracle Girl, Age 3, Saved By Hero Puppy After Surviving 11 Days Lost In Siberia Wilderness
More from Inquisitr