Mini Dachshund survives 16 months alone on Australian island

A mini dachshund named Valerie has survived in the wild for over a year on Kangaroo Island in South Australia.

Valerie went missing in November 2023 while her owners were camping on the island. She escaped from her pen at Stokes Bay and disappeared into the bush. Despite a week-long search with the help of locals, she was not found.

More than a year later, Valerie has been seen again. Locals shared sightings and photos on social media. The rescue team confirmed Valerie is alive but very shy, running away from humans and cars.

“Based on firsthand accounts and video evidence, we now know that Valerie is alive. She runs at the first sign of humans or vehicles. Despite the best efforts of dedicated Island locals, Valerie has been impossible to catch,” Kangala Wildlife Rescue said in a Facebook post.

Wildlife experts are now using camera traps to try and catch her safely. Valerie was last seen about 15km from where she first disappeared.

“We’ve managed to narrow down the search area to just one specific point where we can feed Valerie. We’ve got cameras in place. We can monitor her,” Jared Karran, director of Kangala Wildlife Rescue, said.

“She’s looking really healthy, and from here on forward, it’s just little steps. We’ll continue to work away to get her more comfortable,” Karran added.

He thinks Valerie survived by drinking dam water and eating roadkill. Some experts say she may have gotten help from locals, but others think she relied on her natural instincts.

Though dachshunds aren’t built for the Australian bush, Valerie seems to have found ways to stay alive. Her owners hope to return to the island soon to bring their little dog home.