Paraglider spots dog on top of Great Pyramid

A paraglider was surprised to see a dog on top of the Great Pyramid of Giza. Photo / 123RF

A paraglider who flew over the Great Pyramid in Egypt was astounded to see, right at the very top, a dog.

Alex Lang noticed movement at the apex of the pyramid in Giza and zoomed in with his camera to find out what it was.

To his amazement, it was a sandy-coloured adult dog, most likely one of the many strays that wander the area. The animal appeared to be barking at some birds.

“It wasn’t something I expected to see at all,” he said.

“I just saw some movement, and when I looked closer, I realised it was a dog – barking and chasing birds from the very top of the pyramid.”

The footage, posted on social media, begged the question of how on earth the dog had reached the top of the 137m pyramid.

Nor was it clear how long it had been up there, or why it bothered climbing so high.

A couple of days later, a tour guide filmed the canine casually descending the pyramid, apparently unfazed by negotiating the vast blocks of stone from which it is constructed.

“I saw this dog climbing down the Great Pyramid in Giza like it was nothing!” Lauren Rathvon said on social media. “It’s just a hop, skip and a jump for them.”

The Great Pyramid is the largest of three pyramids of Giza, located on the west bank of the Nile. It was completed in the 25th century BC.

One of the largest buildings ever constructed, it was originally 146.5m tall but the removal of the polished stone slabs that once covered it, together with erosion by the elements, has whittled it down to its present height.