enw2 t1_itz9gat wrote on October 27, 2022 at 12:12 PM

Reply to comment by BasedChadThundercock in TIL: The famous Alaskan sled dog "Balto" was preserved in taxidermy and is on display at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History in Ohio. by alex6219

According to IMDB: In 1998, the Alaska Legislature passed HJR 62- 'Bring Back Balto' resolution. The Cleveland Museum of Natural History declined to return Balto. However, in October 1998, Balto left for a five-month stay at the Anchorage Museum of History and Art, which drew record crowds.

kimcognito t1_itze3fj wrote on October 27, 2022 at 12:52 PM

I’m not Alaskan, but I listen to A LOT of Alaskan news (they are a lot like florida? Idk it gets wild up there). Apparently Alaskans get upset that Alaska is forgotten about in a lot of tours, but then have a really bad habit of not showing up when big acts do come to Alaska (I think Kiss or Metallica is still p pissed about some 80s show that caught the stage on fire?)

BUT the idea that Alaskans not only made legislation to bring Balto home but also drew record crowds to see him at the museum 🥹 makes my eyes moist that they appreciate this Alaskan native puppy so much.

BasedChadThundercock t1_itzn2t4 wrote on October 27, 2022 at 2:01 PM

Well yeah, this dog and Togo (along with their teams and human leaders) were responsible for saving an entire community in Nome, and such stories like that don't really happen anymore but it was an amazing act of heroism.

As a sporting event Alaska still holds the Iditarod trail race that mirrors the path these teams took from Anchorage with the finish line in Nome.