Loggers Cut An Old Tree and Found This Surprising Thing Inside

 

The dog who got MUMMIFIED inside a tree trunk: Loggers find perfectly preserved canine 20 years after it got stuck while 'chasing a racoon'

• Aptly named Stuckie got trapped while hunting inside a hollow oak tree

• The mummified body of the canine oddity attracts thousands of visitors

• Stuckie was discovered in 1980 when loggers noticed his preserved remains

• He is now the star attraction at the Waycross tree museum in Georgia 

This is the mummified dog who was found by loggers inside a tree trunk 20 years after he got stuck while chasing a 'raccoon' and starved to death in Georgia.    

The dog, known as Stuckie, was discovered in 1980 when loggers for the Kraft Corporation cut the oak into logs.

They found the mummified hunting dog lodged in a hollow stretch near the top of the tree - and he is now the main attraction at Forest World, a tree museum in Waycross, Georgia.

Stuckie's body was mummified instead of decomposing because the updraft of air in the hollow tree trunk carried his scent away from insects.  

+4

• 
  

Stuckie's body has been preserved and is in remarkably good condition

+4

• 
  

It is estimated that Stuckie had been in the tree for approximately 20 years before the loggers discovered him

+4

• 
  

Stuckie has been at Forest World in Waycross since it opened in May 1981

Rather than send the section of the tree on to the sawmill, the loggers donated it to Forest World. The dog was named Stuckie following a 2002 naming contest.

It is estimated that he had been in the tree for approximately 20 years before the loggers discovered him.

Experts believe that he had probably chased after some small game, wedging himself into the hollow tree and climbing a whopping 28 feet up before becoming trapped.

+4

• 
  

An acorn form a chestnut oak - the tree is native to the eastern U.S. where it is one of the most important ridge top trees from southern Maine south-west to central Mississippi

How the hound became mummified inside the tree instead of rotting is a much more interesting question, though. 

According to a press release from the museum, a chimney effect occurred in the hollow tree, resulting in an upward draft of air. 

This caused the scent of the dead animal to be carried away, which otherwise would have attracted insects and other organisms that feed on dead animals.

In addition the hollow tree would also have provided relatively dry conditions, while the tannic acid of the oak would have helped to harden the animal's skin. 

Tannin is a natural desiccant - a substance that absorbs moisture and dries out its surroundings. The low-moisture environment stopped the microbial activity, which meant no decay. Thus, poor Stuckie's body was preserved and is in remarkably good condition.

Forest World's Manager Brandy Stevenson said that people always ask how Stuckie got stuck to which he replies: 'Well, he was a hound dog. Maybe he was after a raccoon.'

They often reply: 'Poor old thing. I feel so sorry for him.'

If you want to see Stuckie the mummified dog in person, you can find him at the Southern Forest World Museum and Environmental Center in Waycross, Georgia. The museum is open Tuesday to Saturday, from 9am to 2pm.

What is the strangest thing you have ever come across while out in the mountains?  Have you ever discovered a mummified dog in a log?

A Facebook page called Bear Valley Co. posted this on their social media page:

Stuckie the mummified dog!

Something a bit different, stumbled across this and thought Id share!

So the story goes, in 1980 a “logger” found the dog whilst working in America. Saw the dog after processing the log and donated it to a museum.

The dog is a hunting type dog and around 4 years old. Apparently was in there for around 20 years. Scientists believe his fate was sealed when he chased something up into the tree.

The plinth next to Stuckie in the museum gives an explanation on how the mummification happened – “A chimney effect occurred in the hollow tree, resulting in an upward draft of air. This caused the scent of the dead animal to be carried away, which otherwise would have attracted insects and other organisms that feed on dead animals. The hollow tree also provided relatively dry conditions, and the tannic acid of the oak helped harden the animal’s skin.”

Imagine losing your dog in the 60’s and finding it in a log 20 years later!

The actual story of the dog, according to MummyTombs.com is that the dog was found in Waycross, Georgia.  The dog was alive in the 60s and must have run away from its owner and chased a critter into a hollow log, which would explain why the dog was in there.  The dog ended up doing itself a disservice by wedging itself so tightly in the log, it couldn’t move and died.

In the 80s, loggers were in the area, and they actually cut down the tree and loaded it onto their truck.  When they realized what they had, they sent the dog and the tree to the Southern Forest World Museum in Waycross, Georgia–where you can find the dog today.

Interesting.