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  • 44000-Year-Old Mummified Wolf Discovered Well-Preserved

    44000-Year-Old Mummified Wolf Discovered Well-Preserved

    In the permafrost of Yakutia, in eastern Russia, scientists discovered the mummified and incredibly well-preserved remains of a 44,000-year-old wolf. The freezing conditions permitted the preservation of most of its internal organs, as well as the remains of its last meal. The latter analysis could provide valuable information on Pleistocene paleogenomes and paleomicrobiomes.

    In 2021, researchers first discovered the mummified wolf in a thick layer of partially melted ice, approximately 40 meters deep in the Tirekhtyakh River in the Abyi region. After examining the remains, researchers from the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Sakha (or Yakutia) stated that this was the first discovery of the complete remains of an adult wolf from the late Pleistocene (between 2.6 million and 11,700 years ago).

    Robert Losey, an anthropologist at the University of Alberta, told Business Insider that this is the only complete adult Pleistocene wolf ever found, which is really remarkable in itself and entirely unique.

    The mummified wolf was discovered in a thick layer of partially melted ice in the Abyi region of Siberia
    The mummified wolf was discovered in a thick layer of partially melted ice in the Abyi region of Siberia © NEFU

    Researchers recently performed autopsies to study its diet and compare its genome with those of other ancient and modern wolves that lived in northeastern Eurasia. Experts suspect it could be an extinct species that was likely larger than modern wolves.

    This project is part of a broad collaboration that began in 2014 and aims to study other Pleistocene animal fossils, including other wolves, horses, hares, and bears. The whole thing could offer insight into the complex ecological interactions of the time. This would improve our understanding of the evolutionary history of the Pleistocene and help us understand the causes of the extinction of many clades, which in turn could provide clues about potential future extinctions.

    Dissection of the animal's internal organs wolf
    Dissection of the animal’s internal organs. © NEFU

    A Large Adult Male That Hunted in the Cold Plains

    Co-led by a team from the Russian North-Eastern Federal University (NEFU), the autopsy was performed under sterile conditions to avoid contamination of the mummified remains. We took samples of internal organs to study the animal’s diet, its microbiome (paleomicrobiome), and the potential presence of unknown ancient microorganisms.

    “Its stomach was preserved in an isolated form. There are no contaminants, so the task is not trivial. Thanks to this preparation, we hope to get a snapshot of the ancient Pleistocene biota,” Albert Protopopov, from the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Sakha, explains in a NEFU press release.

    The contents of its stomach indicate that it was a large predator that actively hunted. We found that the last animals it consumed had undergone partial digestion. The predator probably hunted in the cold plains, populated by mammoths, woolly rhinoceroses, horses, bison, and reindeer. The preserved soft tissues will also allow DNA extraction (paleogenome) for a comparative study with other wolves and prey.

    We also collected samples for other studies. For instance, the researchers determined the wolf’s age (44,000 years) using one of its premolars. The researchers also knew it was a big adult male because of how worn down its teeth were and how developed its sagittal crest was. The sagittal crest is a bone ridge that runs along the middle of the top of the skull and supports the masticatory muscles.

    Furthermore, the researchers suggest that unknown microorganisms that might be uncovered could potentially be used for the development of new drugs. Some viruses and bacteria can survive for thousands of years in permafrost and be released and reactivated after it thaws.

    However, the discovery of these ancient carcasses, favored by the increasing thawing of permafrost, is not without danger. They could indeed release new pathogens that are potentially harmful to modern humans and animals. For example, in 2016, the melting of snow in the Yamal Peninsula (in Siberia) spread ancient Bacillus anthracis bacteria from a frozen reindeer carcass. This triggered an anthrax outbreak that infected 36 people in the region.

    “We hope to get good results that will allow us to go a little further in understanding what the ancient microbial communities were, what functions they performed, and to what extent dangerous pathogenic bacteria were represented in ecosystems,” concludes Artemy Goncharov, from the North-Western State Medical University in Russia.

  • Waheela: A Wolf-Like Cryptid of Canadian Tundra

    Waheela: A Wolf-Like Cryptid of Canadian Tundra

    • Large wolf with unique features, robust build, wide feet.
    • Theories suggest survival of amphicyonids or unique local wolf species.
    • Reported sightings in Nahanni Valley, Alaska, and Michigan.

    The Canadian Northwest Territories and the Nahanni Valley are purported hotspots for sightings of the wolf-like cryptid known as the Waheela. There have been reports of sightings in both Alaska and Michigan. Even though the extinct Canis dirus (Dire wolf) does not fit the description of the Waheela, cryptozoologist and writer Ivan T. Sanderson thought in the 1970s that the Waheela may represent a remnant population of amphicyonids, ancient bear-dogs from the Pleistocene. Since no physical evidence of the Waheela survives, the presence of this mysterious wolf-like animal cannot be demonstrated by science.

    The Waheela is a murderous ghost-like animal described in Native American mythology.

    What Does Waheela Look Like?

    The reality of the Waheela, a big wolf said to inhabit the tundra of northern Canada and Alaska, has not been established. The Waheela is said to resemble a huge wolf in appearance. Its feet are unusually large, and it is reported to be larger and more robustly constructed than a wolf.

    It’s been stated that its forelegs are noticeably longer than the back ones. This type of leg disproportion is common in mythical figures such as Dahu goats, or Nasnas, Ciguapa, and Fachan humanoids.

    Its feet are notably wider apart than those of a typical wolf, producing footprints that are fashioned like a wolf’s but far larger in size. It has a robust tail and relatively small ears in contrast to its enormous, wide head. The animal allegedly stood as tall as 4 feet at the shoulder.

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    The snowy tundra regions of Michigan’s far north, Alaska, and Canada’s Northwest Territories are said to be home to this creature.

    Scotland-born cryptozoologist T. Sanderson claimed that a hunter friend of his fired two shots at such a monster in the 1940s or 1950s while tracking in Canada’s Nahanni Valley. The thickness of its fur, however, rendered his bullets ineffective, and the animal just retreated. Waheelas have also been blamed for the finding of decapitated prospectors throughout the years in the same area.

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    Theories on Waheela’s Origin

    Waheela
    Waheela, artwork.

    Sanderson made a bold guess, suggesting it might be a living amphicyonid (“bear-dogs“). These powerful predators, different from dogs and bears, vanished around 5 million years ago in the Late Miocene. He thought a group of them survived in the harsh Arctic of northern North America, rarely seen by people and hunters.

    Another theory suggests Waheela might be an extinct local wolf type from Alaska, similar to modern wolves but with unique features described in Waheela accounts.

    Waheela also might have suffered from a condition called “gigantism.”

    The name “Waheela” comes from an old report that was uncovered by the American cryptozoologist Loren Coleman, who learned that three trappers in colonial-era Michigan claimed to have seen a ghostly, white wolf of enormous size near a lake. As both are characterized as enormous white wolves, the name is sometimes mistaken for the Great White Wolf of Canada’s Nahanni Valley.

    Specimens of the suborder of ancient bear-dogs and the extinct relative of modern Pleistocene wolves, Canis dirus, have been linked to this legendary narrative. An extinct kind of hyena or a new type of canine are among other candidates.

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    Other Cryptids Similar to Waheela

    According to urban legend, the Waheela has all-white fur and can survive in subzero conditions. Although it resembles the Shunka Warakin, another large cryptid caniform, the Waheela lives considerably further north.

    Greenland sightings of this animal have also been linked to the Amarok, a mythical enormous wolf from Inuit folklore. This gigantic wolf is certainly an analogue of this beast.

    However, a lot of people also think it resembles the Ringdocus, a nearly monstrous canid with blackish hair that a taxidermist shot in Montana in 1886 and later stuffed.

    However, there are also many who believe it is similar to the Ringdocus, an almost-monstrous canid with blackish hair that was shot in Montana in 1886 and later stuffed by a taxidermist.

    References to Waheela

    • “Ista” is a therianthropic waheela and a close friend and ally of Verity Price, the heroine of the American writer Seanan McGuire’s novel series called InCryptid.
    • Waheela is a character in Barrack Muluka’s 1997 novel When Ogres Lived.
    • The Secret Saturdays is an animated animation that features the Waheela. The same show also features the giant Amarok wolf.
  • Amarok: The Spirit Wolf of the Inuit Mythology

    Amarok: The Spirit Wolf of the Inuit Mythology

    • Amarok is a spirit wolf aids humans by ensuring healthy caribou.
    • In Inuit beliefs, Amarok symbolizes the balance in nature, hunting, and sustenance.

    In Inuit mythology, the great spirit wolf is known as Amarok or Amaroq (in Inuktitut syllabary, ᐊᒪᕈᒃ). Amarok, who is often portrayed as a huge wolf, eats careless hunters who go out in the dark. Still, this legendary wolf helps people by watching over caribou herds and making sure the wolves hunt any sick or injured animals and leave the healthy ones to humans to allow them to avoid diseases. Inuit people use the word “amarok” to refer to wolves, and the word has also shown up in cryptozoology, contemporary literature, and popular music. It is a common theme in Inuit artwork.

    What Does Amarok Mean?

    Inuit village, 1865, Frobisher Bay, Nunavut, Canada.
    Inuit village, 1865, Frobisher Bay, Nunavut, Canada.

    In Inuit culture, the word “amarok” means “wolf” or “wolf spirit.” It incorporates the wolf in its animal form as well as the wolf’s spiritual essence in Inuit animism.


    Amarok, who hunts alone as opposed to wolf packs, targets human hunters who are either alone or careless enough to come out at night.

    Although the Amarok has been given the title of “god” on occasion, the Eskimos are animists and do not believe in the existence of a supreme being. This name has survived to the present day thanks to literature and songs.

    Wolves have a good connotation in the traditions of indigenous peoples such as the Inuit and other nations of “Turtle Island” or North America. They consider wolves to be helpful companions in their search for food, in contrast to Europeans, who often portrayed wolves as wicked.

    Myth of the Amarok Wolf

    amarok wolf

    The Amarok wolf and the caribou mythology are integral parts of Inuit cosmology.

    The First Animals

    There were no animals or plants on Earth prior to the arrival of the first man and woman. The woman pleaded with Kaïla, the sky god, to bring life to the planet. He sent her to dig a hole in the pack ice to fish, and one by one she pulled out all the animals that inhabit the world, with the caribou coming out last.

    Kaïla assured her that the caribou would provide for her people, and this was the nicest gift he could provide. The woman let the caribou go and commanded it to proliferate all over the world. Their rapid growth allowed the woman’s sons to successfully hunt caribou for food and skins to make shelter and clothing.

    Time to Plead Amarok

    However, the first woman’s offspring were known for picking the most beautiful ones. Eventually, only the ill and weak caribou survived, and the Inuit refused to consume them for fear of becoming sick themselves.

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    When the woman asked Kaïla for help, Kaïla went to see Amarok, the wolf spirit. He pleaded with Amarok’s offspring, the wolves, to devour the sick and weak caribou so that the caribou herds might grow again and turn into healthy animals. For the sons of the woman, the Amarok and the caribou, in Inuit mythology, have fused into a single entity ever since.

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    If the wolf eats caribou, the caribou will stay healthy.

    Because of the way they hunt, wolves are vital to keeping deer, caribou, and other large game populations stable. They keep aiding Inuit human hunters by providing food.


    There is also a trickster and wolf deity in Inuit mythology named “Amaguq”.

    Amarok as a Cryptid

    Unlike other Arctic peoples, the Greenlandic Inuit do not use the name Amarok for any other wolf. Thus, since the word seems to represent a specific animal in Greenlandic Inuit that is very dangerous and invariably gray, the Amarok has also been the subject of cryptozoological research.

    This fictional animal allegedly belongs to the wolf family (canis lupus), according to cryptozoologists. However, the animal referred to by the word amarok is likely the white Arctic wolf. Amarok is sometimes mistaken for the waheela, another canine cryptid from Northern Canada.

    Modern Culture

    • Volkswagen’s first pickup truck model was dubbed the “Amarok.”
    • Mike Oldfield’s album is named “Amarok.”
    • The Amarok tale served as direct inspiration for the Disney film “Never Cry Wolf,” in which a government researcher probes the loss of Arctic caribou, blamed on wolf ferocity. Among the production companies is “Amarok Productions Ltd.”
    • There is a Polish musical group by this name.
    • The novel “Julie of the Wolves” by Jean Craighead George has three parts and the first is named “Amaroq, the Wolf“.
    • It is also the name of a freeware music player with a wolf logo.
    • Albums from the German black metal band Nargaroth were published under the collective name “Amarok” in 2000.
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      The band also has a song titled “Amarok: Zorn des Lammes.”
    • The animal is featured in the animated TV series The Secret Saturdays.
    • In Season 4 of Grimm, Amarok, a hairy Wesen with the ability to freeze its victims with its breath, makes an appearance. Its purported home country is Norway.
    • Published in 1989, Bernard Clavel’s “Amarok” tells the tale of two trappers and their wolf-dog hybrid companion as they escape 1940s Quebec for the Arctic.