Content
- Nome's eskimo dog
- The story of Balto and Togo
- The last days of Balto
- The statue of Balto in Central Park
The story of Balto and Togo is one of America's most captivating real-life hits and proves how amazing dogs can do. The story was so popular that Balto's adventure became a film, in 1995, narrating his story. However, other versions say that the real hero was Togo.
In this article by PeritoAnimal, we tell you what the story of Balto, the wolf dog turned hero and Togo. You can't miss the full story!
Nome's eskimo dog
Balto was a dog mixed with a Siberian husky that was born in Nome, a small town ofAlaska, in 1923. This breed, originally from Russia, was introduced in the United States, in 1905, to work in the mushing (a sport where dogs pull sleds), since they were more resistant and lighter than the Alaskan Malamute, the typical dogs of that area.
At that time, the race All-Alaska Sweepstakes it was very popular and ran from Nome to Candle, which corresponded to 657 kilometers, not counting the return. Balto's future tutor, Leonhad Seppala, was a trainer of mushing experienced who participated in several races and competitions.
In 1925, when temperatures hovered around -30°C, the city of Nome was attacked by an epidemic of diphtheria, a very serious bacterial disease that can be fatal and usually affects children.
In that city there was no diphtheria vaccine and it was through the telegram that the inhabitants were able to find out where to find more vaccines. The closest they found was in the city of Anchorage, the 856 kilometers away. Unfortunately, it was not possible to get there by air or sea, as they were in the middle of a winter storm that prevented use of the routes.
The story of Balto and Togo
Since it was impossible to receive the necessary vaccines, about 20 inhabitants of the city of Nome pledged to undertake a dangerous journey, for which they would use more than 100 sled dogs. They managed to move the material from Anchorage to Nenana, a city closer to Nome, the 778 miles away.
The 20 guides then built a relay system that made the transfer of vaccines possible. Leonhard Seppala led his team of dogs led by the leader of the Togo, a 12-year-old Siberian husky. They had to travel the longest and most dangerous stretch of this journey. Their role was pivotal in the mission, as they had to take a shortcut across a frozen bay to save a day's travel. In that area the ice was extremely unstable, at any moment it could break and leave the entire team in danger. But the truth is that Togo was able to successfully guide his team during the more than 500 km of this dangerous route.
Amid freezing temperatures, hurricane-strength winds and snowstorms, several dogs from some of the groups died. But they finally managed to bring the drugs in record time, as it only took 127 hours and a half.
The team in charge of covering the last stretch and delivering the medicine in the city was led by musher Gunnar Kaasen and his guide dog balto. For this reason, this dog has been considered a hero in Nome all over the world. But on the other hand, in Alaska, everyone knew that Togo was the real hero, and years later, the real story we can tell today was revealed. All the dogs that undertook that difficult journey were great heroes, but Togo was, without a doubt, the main protagonist for having guided his team through the most difficult part of the entire journey.
The last days of Balto
Unfortunately, Balto was sold, like the other dogs, to the Cleveland Zoo (Ohio), where he lived until he was 14 years old. Died on March 14, 1933. The dog was embalmed and we can currently find his body at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History in the United States.
Since then, every March, the Iditarod dog race. The route runs from Anchorage to Nome, in memory of the story of Balto and Togo, the wolf dogs who became heroes, as well as everyone else who participated in this dangerous race.
The statue of Balto in Central Park
The media repercussion of Balto's story was so great that they decided raise a statue in Central Park, New York, in his honor. The work was made by Frederick Roth and dedicated exclusively to this four-legged hero, who saved the lives of many children in the city of Nome, which is even today considered somewhat unfair to Togo. On the statue of Balto in the US city, we can read:
"Dedicated to the indomitable spirit of the snow dogs who managed to transport the antitoxin over nearly a thousand kilometers of rough ice, treacherous water and arctic snowstorms in Nenana to bring relief to the desolate people of Nome during the winter of 1925.
Resistance - Loyalty - Intelligence"
If you liked this story, you will probably also be interested in the story of the Supercat who saved a newborn in Russia!
