IKALUKTUTIAK/CAMBRIDGE BAY
Sometimes, survival instincts are in the blood.

This may have been the case for an eight-month-old dog that recently took himself on an 11-day adventure from the Kent Peninsula near Cambridge Bay to TMAC Resource's Hope Bay camp more than 100 km away.

Dave Sherlock, project manager for NUNA Contracting Ltd. at TMAC Resource's Hope Bay camp, takes Enok for a walk around the camp. After becoming separated from his owner near the Kent Peninsula on March 13, Enok travelled more than 100 km before ending up at the camp on March 24. - photo courtesy of Dave Sherlock

Enok is one of a few purebred Canadian Eskimo dogs left after the breed was nearly eradicated during a series of dog slaughters in the Arctic in the 1950s and 60s.

"It's not like every person could have that type of dog, but they are extremely awesome," Enok's owner Lisa-Marie Leclerc told Nunavut News/North.

"They're built for this climate."

As a Kugluktuk-based biologist, Leclerc often travels out on the land to conduct field work, which is part of the reason why she selected the breed.

Earlier this month, she was part of a muskox survey near the Kent Peninsula when Enok escaped his tether on March 13.

After searching unsuccessfully until dark, the team had to move on but Leclerc said she expected Enok to follow the snowmobile tracks back to Cambridge Bay.

"It was a doable distance for a Northern dog," she said, adding several Inuit have told her stories of dogs following snowmobile trails for long distances in order to find their way home.

In Cambridge Bay, Leclerc alerted RCMP, wildlife officers and local hunters that her dog was missing. She said the amount of people who were willing to help track him down was a bit overwhelming.

"Some people think the Inuit don't care about dogs, but I had very great support from the Inuit who were very willing to go out and look for the dog and bring him back," she said.

Enok was spotted near the spot he and Leclerc had been separated, but ran away from the hunters who tried to capture him. By the time Leclerc was able to return to the area herself, Enok was nowhere to be found.

"I was just hoping he had followed the track to Cambridge Bay or was maybe making his way back to Kugluktuk," she said.

However, Enok had a different plan in mind and instead headed south along a different track towards the mainland.

On March 24, Dave Sherlock and another crew member at TMAC Resources' Hope Bay camp were on a morning site safety tour when they found Enok curled up at the outskirts of the camp.

"We're well off the beaten track here," said Sherlock. "My best guess is that dog must have travelled at least 200 miles to get here."

Enok's appearance at the camp was a welcome one, despite his weakened state. The week before, crew members had discussed getting a camp dog to help with safety patrols, watch for polar bears and keep the seven-man crew company.

Although he was initially exhausted, Enok rebounded quickly after a few days with a warm bed, food and water.

"He's a sled dog but he's clearly a pet," said Sherlock. "He's a real cuddly thing."

Finding Enok's owner was not a difficult task, said Sherlock. Their first call was to TMAC Resource's Cambridge Bay office, and staff there had heard about the missing dog. Since word had spread around the hamlet, it was not long before Sherlock got in touch with Leclerc.

"I was glad to know that the dog was found, but there were so many people on the land looking that I always thought the chance to find him was pretty high," she said.

Enok was scheduled to fly out of Hope Bay on a shift change flight March 28 and Leclerc had booked a flight of her own to collect her dog in Yellowknife.

Sherlock said he was glad to help reunite Leclerc and Enok, but that the dog had been a welcome companion at the camp. During his five-day stay, Enok was given a safety vest and made an honourary member of the safety patrol.

"He's getting lots of attention, which is nice," he said. "(He gets) about 10 walks a day as my gang working here all like to take him out when they come to camp for their coffee and lunch breaks and after shift.

"He's gaining strength daily now and getting very playful. Lisa is checking on him regularly. I know she can hardly wait to see him in Yellowknife."