Taro (タロ; 1955–1970) and Jiro (ジロ; 1955–1960) were two Sakhalin Huskies which survived for eleven months in

Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest cont ...

after being left behind by the 1958

Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition The refers to a series of Japanese Antarctic expeditions for scientific research. The first JARE expedition was launched in 1957 to coordinate with the International Geophysical Year. This was the team which left 15 dogs, including Taro and Ji ...

. Due to poor weather conditions, the expedition was unable to airlift out 15 dogs, which were left chained and with only a few days' worth of food. Of these 15, seven of the dogs died on the chain, six of them disappeared, and two, Taro and Jiro, successfully overwintered and were discovered by the next research group the following spring. The dogs became a media sensation after their discovery, and became Japanese symbols of perseverance and fortitude. Jiro remained in Antarctica and died there as a working dog in 1960; Taro was brought to Japan, where he died in 1970. Both of their bodies were

taxidermied Taxidermy is the art of preserving an animal's body via mounting (over an armature) or stuffing, for the purpose of display or study. Animals are often, but not always, portrayed in a lifelike state. The word ''taxidermy'' describes the proc ...

and placed on display, and several monuments to the dogs have been erected in Japan.

Expedition

The Japan National Institute of Polar Research began a multiyear research program in Antarctica to coincide with the International Geophysical Year of 1957. They established Showa Station on

East Ongul Island East Ongul Island is an island in the Flatvaer Islands off of Antarctica. It is long, lying immediately east of the northern part of Ongul Island at the east side of the entrance of Lutzow-Holm Bay. East Ongul Island this island was original ...

in January of that year, and sent a team of 11 researchers and 15 Sakhalin Husky dogs as a sled team. The team was expected to be replaced in February 1958, but the ship '' Soya'', carrying their replacement crew, became iced in and called for help from ''

Burton Island USS ''Burton Island'' (AG-88) was a United States Navy Wind-class icebreaker that was later recommissioned in the United States Coast Guard as the USCGC ''Burton Island'' (WAGB-283). She was named after an island near the coast of Delaware. Const ...

'', an American

icebreaker An icebreaker is a special-purpose ship or boat designed to move and navigate through ice-covered waters, and provide safe waterways for other boats and ships. Although the term usually refers to ice-breaking ships, it may also refer to smaller ...

. With ''Burton Island'''s assistance, a helicopter was able to rescue the team at Showa, but the plans to deploy the second year team were abandoned, and the helicopter rescue only included the humans at Showa. The 15 dogs had been left chained with several days' worth of food accessible.Taro and Jiro — A story of canine strength and tenacity
''Digital Journal'', November 21, 2012. In January 1959, a third team returned to Showa and sought to determine the fate of the dogs. Seven dogs had died while still chained, and eight had broken free. Six bodies were never recovered, but Taro and Jiro were found alive. These were the two youngest dogs on the team (at three years old) were brothers, and were the pups of Kuma, a dog that had also been on the chain at Showa, but had broken free and disappeared. The dogs that had died on the chain showed no signs of cannibalism, and it was theorized that Taro and Jiro survived by learning to hunt penguins and seals and to eat frozen marine life that surfaced in ice cracks.

Legacy

The dogs' survival was a national news story at the time. Jiro continued working as a sled dog in Antarctica and died there in 1960; his remains were stuffed and moved to the

National Science Museum of Japan The is in the northeast corner of Ueno Park in Tokyo. The museum has exhibitions on pre- Meiji science in Japan. It is the venue of the taxidermied bodies of the legendary dogs Hachikō and Taro and Jiro. A life-size blue whale model and a s ...

. Taro was relocated to

Sapporo ( ain, サッ・ポロ・ペッ, Satporopet, lit=Dry, Great River) is a city in Japan. It is the largest city north of Tokyo and the largest city on Hokkaido, the northernmost main island of the country. It ranks as the fifth most populous cit ...

and lived the remainder of his life at

Hokkaido University , or , is a Japanese national university in Sapporo, Hokkaido. It was the fifth Imperial University in Japan, which were established to be the nation's finest institutions of higher education or research. Hokkaido University is considered ...

. He died in 1970 and was also placed on display at a university museum. Three monuments dedicated to the dogs have been constructed: near Wakkanai, Hokkaido; under Tokyo Tower; and near Nagoya Port. The dogs' story was used as the basis for the 1983 film ''

'' and the 2006 film ''

Eight Below ''Eight Below'' is a 2006 American survival drama film, a remake based on the 1983 Japanese film ''Antarctica'' by Toshirô Ishidô, Koreyoshi Kurahara, Tatsuo Nogami and Susumu Saji. It was produced by Patrick Crowley and David Hoberman, direc ...

''.

References

{{reflist Individual dogs Cultural history of Japan Dog monuments Individual animals in Japan Japanese Antarctic Program 1955 animal births 1960 animal deaths 1970 animal deaths

Expedition

Legacy

See also

References