Every other Friday, the Outside/In team answers a listener question about the natural world.
This week, Outside/In host Nate Hegyi spoke with NHPR's Morning Edition host Rick Ganley to talk about their new miniseries, Outside/In presents The Underdogs, and answer several listener questions about dog sledding. Below is a transcript of their conversation.
Outside/In presents The Underdogs is available now wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more here.
Transcript
Rick Ganley: So, Nate, what got you into this story?
Nate Hegyi: So I got a tip from a friend of a friend who lives in Fairbanks, Alaska. It was about the first New Zealander to ever finish the Iditarod. The Iditarod, of course, being this thousand mile dog sledding race across Alaska. And this Kiwi musher and his wife, they're very successful. They own a big kennel in New Zealand. But behind the scenes, something was off: They were destroying friendships. They owed people tens of thousands of dollars and – eventually – they abandoned their entire U.S. racing team.
Rick Ganley: Wow, that sounds like quite a story.
Nate Hegyi: Yeah.
Rick Ganley: So the Iditarod just wrapped up a few weeks ago, and there were actually a couple of mushers from New Hampshire there. And while it's probably, you know, one of the most famous sporting events in Alaska, it's no stranger to bad press. I know it's been hounded by animal rights groups. It has lost major sponsors over the years. Considering all that, Nate, why do you think people in the mushing community were willing to talk to you about this story?
Nate Hegyi: I think it was because they felt betrayed. Professional mushers are really tight-knit. It's a really guarded community. They don't open up to outsiders. And this New Zealand couple, they had earned their trust in this community and then they just completely burned it. They allegedly stole dogs. They lied to their friends. I mean, at one point they owed a fellow musher more than $30,000 for taking care of their dogs. And so, you know, they were open to talking to an environmental podcaster from the lower 48, which is great – because I also got to learn a lot of weird and wild stuff about dog sledding.
Rick Ganley: That sounds like quite the series and folks can listen to it in the Outside/In podcast feed. And speaking of weird and wild stuff, we asked listeners on Instagram for their questions about dog sledding. And the first question is here: Nate, are all “Idita-dogs” huskies, or do they use other breeds?
Nate Hegyi: So the Iditarod actually has special rules about this. The dogs have to be what's known as northern breeds, which means they have this special coat that protects them from the cold. And they also have to be really comfortable pulling stuff long distances. So most of the dogs in the Iditarod are Alaskan huskies, which are essentially these super mutts that have superpowers. They have coats that are so thick that snow doesn't melt on them when it falls. They have these incredible vascular systems in their paws that keep their feet warm and toasty, even in subzero temperatures. And speaking of which, the best temperature to run an Alaskan husky is around zero degrees. And running is what these dogs were bred to do. They can easily go 100 miles a day. So they're pretty awesome animals in my opinion.
Rick Ganley: Amazing. Yeah. Next question from Instagram is, “What happens when sled dogs retire?”
Nate Hegyi: So back in the day, some kennels would just kill the dogs when they couldn't pull anymore. That doesn’t happen as much anymore, which is great because sled dogs can live a really long time, sometimes up to 18 years old. At good kennels, they'll essentially set up doggie retirement towns. The sled dogs will still live outside, occasionally pull tourists. Others will be rehomed and adopted out. And I got a chance to visit one of those doggie retirement homes and it was cute. I love seeing old dogs.
Rick Ganley: Another listener asked, “Do the dogs just poop and pee as they're running or do they hold it until they stop?”
Nate Hegyi: Well, when I went mushing, that is something I noticed. They kind of try to stop, but the rest of the team just pulls them along. So they're kind of just hopscotching as they go.
Rick Ganley: I actually did have a little personal experience, I've seen this happen. And let's just say it’s... an interesting sight. All right. We have time for one more question. An Outside/In Instagram follower wants to know whether the Iditarod has been impacted by climate change.
Nate Hegyi: Absolutely. I mean, Alaska is warming faster than any other state in this country. This year, there were spots where the trail hit 40 degrees and that can be really tough on the Alaskan Huskies who have those dense fur coats. They run best at zero degrees.
It also makes the trail super bumpy and treacherous so they can break sleds, break bones. Mushers this year reported mud on the trail and even mosquitoes. And in the past, they've had to alter the Iditarod [route], and they've had even to truck snow in. So really… with climate change and everything else, we'll see how long the Iditarod actually continues.
Check out Outside/In Presents The Underdogs, and don't forget: you can submit your OWN question about the natural world to the Outside/In team. Record it as a voice memo on your smartphone and send it to outsidein@nhpr.org or call the hotline, 1-844-GO-OTTER. We also post regular call-outs for questions on Instagram. Follow us @OutsideinRadio.
