Curious dog Shani miraculously survived staying at the bottom of a mine for two days after escaping from home during a thunderstorm: ‘Miracle’
- The dog survived days later in the mining bin
- Chaney spent days in a dumper in Rio Tinto
A dog miraculously survived after spending days at the bottom of a mine shaft where tons of iron ore were dumped.
Shani was discovered inside a tipper near the Rio Tinto port facility in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.
The dog is known to have been living in trash for two days after escaping from his home in Dampier during a thunderstorm.
Nearly 600 carloads of ore are thrown into the trash every day, with each car carrying more than 100 tons of iron ore.
A dog miraculously survived after spending days at the bottom of a mine shaft where tons of iron ore were dumped
Travis Burroughs, who is part of the Rio Tinto emergency response team, said it was a “miraculous” that the dog survived.
“There was a lot of ore coming out,” he said, “I don’t know how that dog survived.” ABC.
He said he got a call telling him a dog had been found in the trash.
“It probably got stuck somewhere where it fell and wasn’t able to hit the ore, which is amazing,” he said.
It is known that more than 100,000 tons of iron ore passed through the bin during the two days that Shany was hidden inside.
Mr Burroughs said it was “surprising” to find the dog uninjured.
SAFE Karratha Foundation and chairwoman Sue Headley said workers at the site became aware of the dog stuck in the trash after hearing squeaking sounds.
“Rio Tinto has very tight security, but this determined little dog – who was so terrified of a thunderstorm – ran through it in fear and found herself, ironically, in a place far more afraid of a thunderstorm,” she said.
Shani has since returned home without any injuries.
Eloise Dortch, the dog’s owner, said her pet seemed to be in high spirits and back to normal.
She told news.com.au: “Shani seemed so happy to see me, she just waved her tail and looked so happy.”
“It shook a bit and made a mess on my kitchen floor with dust everywhere.”
Shanny is a rescue dog adopted from SAFE Karratha, an organization that reunites homeless animals with new owners and rescues them from euthanasia.
Shani was discovered inside a tipper near the Rio Tinto port facility in the Pilbara region of Western Australia