CNN
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Flying high into the sky, paragliders are used to enjoying fascinating aerial views of some of the world’s most famous ancient landmarks. But there usually aren’t dogs hanging on top of the landmarks.

While flying above Egypt’s famous Great Pyramids at dawn earlier this week, American paraglider Marshall Mosher and fellow paragliders spotted the unexpected sight of a stray dog ​​also overlooking the top of one of the ancient wonders.

“We noticed something walking back and forth on top of the pyramid,” Mosher told CNN Travel. “One person thought it was a mountain lion.”

The adventurers quickly grabbed their phones and zoomed in on the top of Khafre, the second highest pyramid – which is inaccessible to humans – only to find a dog at the top of the 136-metre-high pyramid apparently chasing some birds. meters) structure.

Mosher remembers being a little worried. ‘Maybe he was? stuck there,’ he thought. But his worries soon disappeared.

“If he brought himself up, he can come down, unless he found a secret portal that helped him teleport to the top of the pyramids,” he joked.

The next day, curious to see if the dog was still there, they flew over the pyramid again, without success. However, a fellow adventurer captured video of what appeared to be the same dog safely descending the pyramid.

It’s unclear if it was the same animal, as hundreds of stray dogs roam the pyramid complex, some often seen close to the base, Mosher explained. The paraglider says he is actively searching for animal shelters in Cairo to help these strays find safer, less adventurous homes.

The dog’s videos quickly went viral on social media, with Mosher’s first post gaining millions of views on Instagram overnight.

Although Mosher has been creating content for a few years, he was surprised by the widespread interest in the dog adventure. “I thought the ability to fly over the pyramids was pretty interesting news, but no one cares about that,” he said.

Some online commentators have drawn a connection between the dog and Anubis, the ancient Egyptian god of the dead, often depicted as a man with a jackal’s head.

Mosher regularly paraglides over the Great Pyramids of Giza as part of an annual flying event organized by SkyOne Egypt, which offers a unique way to explore the iconic location.

“I understand why the dog wanted to go there. It is definitely the best sight for the mutt in Cairo that I can think of,” he said.