Illustration of the walrus dog by A Book of Creatures.
The aziwugum or az-i-wû-gûm-ki-mukh-'ti, frequently called the walrus dog in English, is a cryptid canid reported from the Bering Strait coast of Alaska, as well as Greenland.[1] It is described as being larger than a bull walrus, with a long and slender body covered with black scales, which are soft enough to be pierced by spears. It has a long, rounded tail with three edges and several spikes.[2]
It is said to prey on seals and fish, but watches over walrus herds, and lashes the water with its tail to signal danger. It has a peculiar whistle-like call, and is dangerous to humans.[2] Naturalist Edward William Nelson, who explored the Bering coast around the turn of the 20th Century, described the Inuit's fear of the walrus dog, and reported that one had allegedly killed a canoe full of people:
| “ | The people of the islands in Bering strait told me that sometimes they see these walrus dogs, and that their walrus hunters are very much afraid of them; they also informed me that on one occasion a walrus dog attacked an umiak full of people and killed them all.[1]
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Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Nelson, Edward William (1900) The Eskimo About Bering Strait
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Eberhart, George M. (2002) Mysterious Creatures: A Guide to Cryptozoology, ABC-CLIO, Inc., ISBN 1576072835