There are times that tragedy touches us, even when it happens long ago. The loggers cut down an old tree, and what they found inside the trunk shocked the world.
Loggers along the Alabama-Georgia border were busy harvesting trees for pulpwood. They were working in hilly terrain on the Alabama side when they made a shocking discovery. It was a normal workday for John and the other loggers. They were cutting down hardwood trees, and one Chestnut Oak was going to give them a surprise of a lifetime.
The area they were cutting in was very remote, with only a few scattered houses and no villages or towns nearby. Besides their team, they hadn’t seen any other people in days. They didn’t expect to find anything extraordinary.
They cut down this massive old tree, and it came down hard. Logging is an extremely dangerous job, and if the trees fall in the wrong way, it can end in tragedy. The logging teams are highly skilled and could cut down several trees without incidents. After the tree was on the ground, they needed to prepare it for transport. They cut the trees into sections and loaded a trailer to transport them.
When the trailer was full, John double-checked to ensure the logs were securely fastened. As he checked, something caught his eye. John went closer, and everyone around heard him gasp. The loggers had cut down the old tree, and what they found inside the trunk shocked the whole world.
John saw claws coming out of a section of the tree. For a moment, they couldn’t figure out what was in there. Was it an animal stuck in the tree, and could they help it? The team quickly worked to get the log out from the pile so they could figure out what sort of animal John saw.
When they took the log down, everyone gathered around because they were all so curious. Those cutting the logs were terrified, hoping they hadn’t cut an animal in half. However, no one could have predicted what they saw.
The animal in the log was a dog, and he had not been cut in any way. Sadly, they were too late to save the dog, around 20 years too late. The dog had been stuck in that tree for at least 20 years, completely mummified but in incredible condition.
They would later find out how he had come to be so well preserved, but in the meantime, they started calling him Stucky. Despite the shock that the dog was well preserved, there was another reason they couldn’t believe how intact he was. They had put that log through a lot, and it felt like a miracle that the dog hadn’t somehow turned to sawdust when the tree fell.
The dog could have easily become damaged, but Stucky remained safely lodged in the tree. When they cut the tree, it was amazing because they somehow missed the dog by inches each time. He remained in one part of the tree and took up the entire piece. How he didn’t get damaged in this process will always remain a mind-blowing occurrence.
Somehow, John noticed him. Stucky had defied all the odds to remain remarkably intact, at least after death. Sadly, the poor pup did have a tragic ending. Looking at the dog in the tree trunk, they would think that Stucky was only there for a few months. The only real sign of age was his teeth and claws, which were exposed more than expected due to the dehydration of the pup’s body.
The loggers wanted to know why Stucky had come to be there. They decided to donate the entire piece to Southern Forest World, who could find out more. They preserved the entire piece and placed it behind glass so people could see him. It was strange; the dog didn’t have any signs of mummifying techniques like the ancient Egyptians would have used. He was preserved so perfectly thanks to nature.
Christina Kilve, a biological anthropologist, studied Stucky and found out how he was preserved so beautifully. The tree was one of the biggest clues. It turns out that the tree itself dry-preserved the dog. She explained that living creatures have biological processes that keep microbes in the body in check and ensure that the body does not fall apart. However, when a person or an animal dies, these microbes begin to eat the body.
The tree, a Chestnut Oak, had tannin, which is used to tan animal pelts and prevent decay. This particular tree helped keep Stucky preserved immaculately. The tannin in the tree also absorbed moisture in the surroundings, leading to less microbial activity and, consequently, less decay. This helped ensure that Stucky could be kept in perfect condition.
But that wasn’t the only thing that helped him. Despite all of this, if scavengers had figured out that there was a body somewhere, they would have tried to eat it. The position and shape of the tree helped preserve the dog too. It was almost like a chimney effect; the air would blow out at the top of the tree, stopping the smell from spreading. Nothing that could have tried to eat him would have ever known that the dog was there.
Despite being stuck in a forest where his remains would likely have disappeared in days, this dog remained perfectly preserved for 20 years. They could see that Stucky was a hunting dog and that he was probably chasing something when he got in trouble.
Back then, the area was known for hunting with dogs. These coons (raccoons in the rest of the world) were nocturnal, and hunters often went out at night with their dogs. They used the coons for their skin and meat. This was a time before tracking devices or GPS, so the dogs played a crucial role in hunting.
The hunters explained that the dogs, during the chase, get into such a state that they lose view of any other dangers. Normally cautious dogs that would avoid dangerous situations might act recklessly during the hunt. Dogs have been known to try and climb trees or go out on thin ice and fall through.
That was probably what happened to poor Stucky. The raccoon could have run into the hollow tree stump, and the dog, in the excitement, followed. Being larger than the raccoon, Stucky couldn’t move as easily. As he tried to follow, he likely got stuck in the narrow hollow of the tree. The raccoon, seizing the opportunity, probably jumped out at the top and fled. Sadly, the dog couldn’t get out, and without alerting anyone to his predicament, he died right there.
He remained there for over 20 years until the loggers cut down the tree. The loggers could deduce much about the dog and how he came to be in the tree, but they still didn’t know who the dog was until many years later.
There were only theories about where the dog came from and who he was when they found him. The dog’s identity remained a secret for years. Now, almost 20 more years after they first found Stucky in that tree, they finally found a viable explanation for who the dog was and when he was alive.
Roger Prer was a renowned hunter in the area and lived there during the time that Stucky probably got inside the log. He often went to hunt with his cousin Keith. Both of them had raised hunting dogs since they were young boys, and their animals became family.
Keith had a dog that he adored called Red. Red loved trees and was a treeing fanatic
. Keith had to keep him from trying to climb, but the dog never got injured and loved having adventures. Roger was convinced that Stucky was the same dog and knew how he got lost.
Roger and Keith mainly hunted coons, but they also hunted bobcats, bears, and even mountain lions. Many people had tried to claim Stucky, but Roger was sure that he was Red. He was there when they lost the dog. Keith had gone out hunting, and on a misty night, they lost track of the dog. They were hunting close to the area where Stucky was found. One moment Red was there, and the next he was gone. They couldn’t hear him, and they couldn’t see any trace of the dog. They searched for him for hours, but they couldn’t find him.
It was heartbreaking to go home that day without finding him. Keith was worried sick, but he hadn’t run out of ideas yet. There was one trick that hunters used to find their hunting dogs when they got lost. Dogs can run for long distances, and finding them can be hard. However, they come back to their people, and their love for people trumps everything else.
These hunters place down their jackets in the forest. Often, when they get back to them, they can find their dog on the jacket waiting to be found. Keith desperately hoped that this would be the case for his beloved dog. He placed his coat down before leaving the forest and then went home. He was worried about the dog all night but was hopeful.
The next morning, he went out to the forest at the crack of dawn, but the jacket lay undisturbed, and his dog had not come back. In the light of day, Keith tried to track the dog, but the rain in the early morning had obscured his tracks. For weeks, Keith went to the forest every day and searched for Red, but they never found him.
For 20 years, they wondered what happened to the dog until the time they found the dog they called Stucky in the forest. Keith died before ever finding out what happened to his dog, but it was always something that hurt him to speak about. The dog might not have had the ending that everyone hoped for, but while he lived, he was loved and got to do what he adored. He ran free and had a blast, and even at the end, he never gave up. He was a special dog, and even now, he means a lot to people.
Stucky can still be viewed, and his story touches all who see him. It is a heartbreakingly beautiful story that stays with people. So, hug your dogs a bit closer today and give them an extra treat on behalf of Stucky, the mummified pup in the logs. Thanks for watching; join us again for even more incredible stories.
