Paraglider spotted something strange moving atop a 136-meter pyramid — but when he zoomed in, what he saw left him speechless

A paraglider’s unexpected discovery changed the landscape of Egyptian tourism near the pyramids. American paragliding enthusiast Alex Lang was flying over the Great Pyramid of Khafre in Giza when he spotted an odd sight. At the top of the 136-meter pyramid was a moving creature that caught Lang’s attention. When he zoomed in on the iconic landmark from his bird’s-eye view, the sudden realization left him baffled. Footage of his discovery stormed the internet, sparking widespread interest, not in the Giza pyramids, but in a brave soul who captured hearts with his resilience.  

Lang was gleefully flying over the sprawling Egyptian pyramids when he noticed a dog on top of the Great Pyramid of Giza. Struck by disbelief, he zoomed in to check, and it was a pup loitering at the summit indeed. While it was a shocking sight for him, too, Lang had not expected the butterfly effect his remarkable discovery would unleash on the Egyptian dogs. The footage was shared by @abcnews on TikTok, bringing in 3.7 million likes. Lang claimed the dog had climbed all the way to the top of the pyramid and was seen barking at the birds.  

A report by Arab News stated that the dog named Apollo turned into an overnight sensation, driving worldwide interest from tourists and animal lovers. “He was acting like a king,” Lang later told Agence France-Presse. The fact that a stray dog had scaled the massive height of an iconic pyramid escaped the understanding of many. While no one would have believed it through mere word of mouth, the video evidence was key in confirming the dog’s bravado. Apollo, a four-year-old Baladi dog, was born in the rocky crevices of the Khafre pyramid, his home. He is part of a pack of eight dogs that reside among the ancient stones.  

Scaling the Khafre pyramid was an ordinary affair for Apollo, the bravest of his pack. Born to a mother dog, Laiko, he was the only puppy who survived while his siblings fell prey to the dangerous heights of his home. “He is the bravest and strongest in his pack,” said Ibrahim el-Bendary, co-founder of the American Cairo Animal Rescue Foundation. Apollo’s great accomplishment, which quickly spread across the globe, became a boon for the local businesses and the stray dogs living near the pyramids. “I definitely believe him (Apollo) climbing the pyramids can help all of the dogs in Egypt to have a better life,” noted Vicki Michelle Brown, the other co-founder of the rescue foundation. 

Meanwhile, the local tour guides have started spinning stories around Apollo, the local hero dog, and his pack. “We’ve always seen these dogs climbing the pyramids, but we never thought they would become a blessing for us,” marked Umma Basma, then 43, who sells souvenirs near the Khafre pyramid. Tourists from all over the globe have started pouring in to meet the dogs and witness their quietly significant presence that is reshaping the way people experience the pyramids.