Pit Bull Stands Guard Over Owner's Body for 96 Hours in the Himalayas

Indian Boys Stranded During Video Filming

The story of a pet Pit Bull that stayed by the side of its teenage owner for four days after the owner died in a severe snowstorm in the mountains has been reported.

According to the Independent and the Times of India on January 29 (local time), on January 22, two boys, Viksit Rana (19) and his cousin Piyush Kumar (14), were stranded in the Himalayas in the Chamba region of Himachal Pradesh, northern India, as a harsh cold wave and heavy snowfall hit the area.

Pitbull Terrier Stayed Beside Owner Who Passed Away Over Four Days in Heavy Snow. Xbryk

The two boys had been heading near the Barmani Temple to film a video on January 22 when they were suddenly trapped by a snowstorm and lost contact with their families. The ongoing severe weather made the search and rescue operation extremely difficult.

It was only on the fifth day, January 26, that the search, which involved disaster response teams and military helicopters, finally located them. The body of Viksit Rana was found first at around 9:30 a.m., and the body of Piyush Kumar was discovered nearby at around 1:35 p.m. Their pet Pit Bull, estimated to be about one year and six months old, was also found by their side.

Local police stated, "At the time of the accident, the blizzard was extremely severe and the temperature dropped to minus 10 degrees Celsius. Sleeping bags and tents were found near the bodies. The Pit Bull was found standing next to Piyush."

The Pit Bull, which had been standing guard over the boys and keeping watch in the freezing snowstorm, showed aggression when the rescue team arrived. Only after a 30-minute standoff were rescuers able to approach the bodies of the two boys. According to the rescuers, the Pit Bull had survived in subzero temperatures without eating or moving at all.

Experts explained that Pit Bull Terriers have a high basal metabolic rate and a strong bond with their guardians. They analyzed that the psychological drive to "protect its owner" may have partially contributed to the dog's ability to maintain body temperature even in such extreme cold conditions.

This Pit Bull had been brought home by Viksit Rana's father for the children before he passed away, and had always grown up accompanying the two boys. The boys were isolated in the snowstorm while filming a video near a temple in the mountains. Local police explained, "Viksit Rana was a blogger who often uploaded mountain landscape videos to social media."

The bodies and the dog were transported by helicopter to a nearby area, and the Pit Bull was safely returned to Viksit Rana's family.