CHANDIGARH: It’s well-known that dogs are man’s best friend, but they do much more than just hang out with us as are highly attentive to us. A pet dog Alpha for 48 hours guarded the body of his owner Abhinandan Gupta and his friend Parnita who fell down into a deep gorge in Bir-Billing range in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh as they slipped in heavy snow and died. The rescuers could only trace the bodies as they heard a dog was barking in order to get help.
Sources said that Abhinandan Gupta who hail from Pathankot but has been living for some time at Bir-Billing in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh along with his friend Parnita from Pune in Maharashtra he had gone to Billing a tourist station near Palampur on Sunday afternoon in a car but due to heavy snow they left their car midway and moved on foot to reach Billing along with Gupta’s pet dog Alpha a German Shepherd.
When they were returning to their base camp at Chogan near Bir both of them probably slipped in heavy snow and fell into a deep gorge. As they did not reach back home, brother-in-law of Gupta called the police and then the rescue teams were constituted to search the area near Lambar Mod where the bodies were later spotted.
“When the rescue teams reached and they found footsteps thus it is assumed that both tried to come of the gorge but could not do so and seemed to have died because of acute cold conditions and injuries. As the injured dog was barking thus both of them could be located, Alpha was wailing sitting next to the bodies as he was in grief and depressed hoping that his owner could be saved. The dog guarded the bodies for 48 hours till Tuesday when rescue team reached on the spot. The dog allowed the rescue team to take away the bodies from the gorge and accompanied them till Bir where the bodies were shifted to the mortuary,” said an official.
Sources said that Alpha saved the bodies of his owner and friend which had signs of injury by wild animals from these animals (black bear and leopard) which are common in the area and also saved himself at a height of 9,000 feet. Sub Divisional Magistrate of Palampur DC Thakur said, “It seems that they slipped due to the heavy snow along with their dog and died. The rescuers located them as they heard a dog was barking and crying sitting along the bodies,’’ he said.
‘48 hours’
The dog guarded the bodies for 48 hours till Tuesday when rescue team reached on the spot. The dog allowed the rescue team to take away the bodies from the gorge and accompanied them till Bir where the bodies were shifted to the mortuary, Alpha, the dog, was wailing sitting next to the bodies as he was in grief