Who let the dogs out? Pack of canines spotted climbing giant Egyptian pyramid

More dogs have been seen climbing an Egyptian pyramid after a paraglider spotted one for the first time atop the ancient wonder.

A new video shows three dogs trotting along the side of the pyramid about halfway up the pyramid. Their lively ports and wagging tails suggest they are safe and happy.

It comes after breathtaking footage captured by paraglider Alex Lang on October 14, when he was hovering above the Pyramid of Khafre when he noticed movement at the top.

Zooming in on the small flat space at the top of the brick structure, viewers were stunned to see it was a dog wandering around.

After the surprising discovery atop the ancient monument, Lang said the dog had barked at the birds flying above him when he saw the animal.

On October 17, new footage showed the dog descending the pyramid and nimbly racing down nearly 500 feet of limestone – that moment was captured on camera by a guide, Lauren Rathvon.

It’s not yet clear if this dog is one of the three in this new video, but if so, it looks like he brought his friends along to see the view.

Upon seeing Lang’s video, Ibrahim Elbendary, co-founder of the American Cairo Rescue Foundation, immediately recognized the dog.

It was Apollo, one of about eight dogs in a pack that lives in the upper reaches of the Pyramid of Khafre, the Washington Post reported.

Elbendary confirmed that Apollo was hunting birds on the pyramid when Lang saw him.

He and his pack mates stalk crows and leap into the air to catch them – a dangerous feat when they are hundreds of feet above the ground.

Apollo, his siblings and their pack mother Laika live among dozens of other stray dogs in the famous 4,500-year-old pyramid complex.

Most of these dogs stay close to the ground. But one day, Laika climbed to the top of the Pyramid of Khafre, possibly because it was a safe place to give birth, Elbendary speculated.

Since then, she and her pups have made the pyramid their home, climbing and descending it with ease.

They are cared for by animal welfare organizations such as Elbendary’s, which provide the strays with food, water and medical care and facilitate adoptions to the US.

The American Cairo Rescue Foundation also captures, vaccinates and spays or neuters the dogs, but Elbendary told the Washington Post that Apollo “runs straight to the top of the pyramid if we try” and has evaded every attempt to capture him.

Apollo is about three years old and seems to have no problem running up and down the rough, steep terrain of the pyramids.

It is unclear whether the three dogs in this new video are Apollo and his packmates. But it’s not unlikely, as this seems to be the only pack that regularly climbs the pyramid

Rathvon, the guide who shot the video of Apollo climbing back down the pyramid, said, “I watched this dog climb down the Great Pyramid at Giza like it was nothing!”

“It’s just jumping, jumping and jumping for them.”

It has not been confirmed whether the three dogs in this latest video are Apollo and his pack mates. But it’s not unlikely, as this seems to be the only pack that regularly climbs the pyramid.

The estimated number of street dogs in Egypt varies, but some experts estimate the number as high as 15 million.

According to the World Health Organization, they bite about 200,000 people a year, increasing the local risk of one of the world’s most deadly diseases: rabies.

They are also widely stigmatized because of a famous Islamic saying attributed to the Prophet Mohammed, which warns that angels will not enter your house if there is a dog in it.

But people like Elbendary are working to create a better life for these neglected animals.

He told the Washington Post that he was excited to see Apollo’s video go viral online because it could generate more interest in Cairo’s street dogs and encourage residents and authorities to care for them.