Is it possible that a three-year-old could survive for eleven days in a Siberian forest? Well, three-year-old Karina Chikitova did.

When Karina’s father left to visit relatives in his home village, she decided to take her puppy and follow him, only to find herself lost in the forest. Her mother assumed that her father had taken her with him and the father naturally assumed Karina was safe at home.

Karina’s father was out of touch with the mother for four days, and only when they made contact did they realize their little girl was missing. The authorities scoured the countryside, including the forest, using airplanes and drones, but to no avail.

Then the worst possible sight was Karina’s puppy wandering back into the village. Even the rescue services thought the worst.
“That was the moment when our hearts sank, because we thought that with her dog Karina could keep warm and perhaps survive, even in minus temperatures.” Afanaisiy Nikolayev, of the Sakha Republic Rescue Service, explained to the Siberian Times.

But they had underestimated both the puppy and the little girl. The pup hadn’t just found its way home, it had come back to lead the rescuers to Karina. The little dog stood waiting for them to follow… and when they did, he led them straight to Karina’s location.

As for the Karina, she showed rescuers her bed made of grass, tucked into the undergrowth and explained she had eaten berries and drank the water from the river. Despite some scratches and weakness, Karina is on the way to a full recovery.

Clever girl… clever pup.