Karina Chikitova was just 3 years old when she followed her father into the forest and got lost without anyone noticing. Her parents were separated, and each thought the other was with the girl.
It was July 29, 2014, in Siberia. For 11 days, the girl survived in territory inhabited by bears and wolves, with temperatures that fell below zero as soon as night fell. She was not alone: her dog Naida never left her side. Each night, she lay pressed against her, wrapping her body around her so the cold would not overcome her, and kept the animals prowling nearby at bay with her barking.
After caring for her for nine days, Naida made a decision that would change everything: she left Karina and returned alone to the village. When the rescuers saw her appear without the girl, they understood that she was still alive somewhere in the forest. Exhausted and frightened, the dog led the team through the dense vegetation to the exact place where Karina was sheltering, alive.
Today, a bronze statue at Yakutsk airport commemorates them together, as a tribute to the loyalty that overcame the Siberian taiga.
