March 25, 2009 -- Rookie musher Timothy Hunt received the Red Lantern Award for being the last to finish the 2009 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race yesterday, but the mood wasn't entirely festive at the finish line on the race's final day. Officials continue to investigate why six dogs died during or shortly after the grueling 1,049-mile journey from Willow to Nome, Alaska. An average of around three dogs die each year during the race, though five were lost in 1997. Chas St. George, director of public relations for the Iditarod, told Discovery News, "we must go through a process to investigate the deaths, and that is still taking place." "Our goal is no deaths," he added. "There is nothing worse than to lose a dog, and we are all very sad about the losses." Related Content:
Two of the dogs, five-year-old Maynard and eight-year-old Omen, experienced "pulmonary edema," or fluid accumulation in the lungs. In both cases, race marshal Mark Nordman said the condition "likely developed as the result of a cardiac abnormality" rather than race conditions. St. George added that a "myriad of reasons" could have led to the dogs' abnormal heart function. "If you take any group of 1,072 dogs, which is about what we had at the start of the Iditarod, a certain number of deaths could occur over a two-week period," he said. Nordman also determined that a two-year-old female named Cirque died while her team, which had to drop out of the race, was being flown out of the trail area. "On the flight back to Nome the aircraft encountered significant turbulence," Nordman said. "By the time the pilot was about to land in Golovin, it was discovered that one of the dogs (Cirque) was deceased." Get More NewsSpiders, Scorpions Among World's Oldest CreaturesMany creepy crawlies have been on Earth much longer than previously believed.Blood-Sucking Vampire Bats Sing DuetsWhite-winged vampire bats "harmonize" with separated roost mates.Oldest Hebrew Writing Possibly FoundAncient inscriptions on a 3,000-year-old pottery shard could make history.Rare, Prehistoric-Age Reptile Found in N.Z.A tuatara has been spotted on the New Zealand mainland for the first time in 200 years.Iceman Has No Living RelativesOetzi, the 5,300 year-old frozen mummy, left no living genetic legacy.SLIDE SHOW: Landscapes of TerrorWhat makes a place feel scary? There are scientific explanations.It's Official: People Are Warming the PolesHumans are conclusively to blame for polar warming, say scientists.Eight-Armed Animal Preceded DinosaursWhat may be one of Earth's first animals was no bigger than a coaster and had eight arms.Phoenicians Live on in People's GenesOne in 17 Mediterranean men may be descended from ancient Phoenicians.Pesticides, Fertilizers Linked to Frog DeclineA pesticide is found to promote parasites among amphibians.Hubble Telescope Taking Photos AgainThe Hubble Space Telescope is once again snapping stunning photos of the universe.Andean Mummy Hairs Show Hallucinogen UseScientists find direct evidence of hallucinogenic drug use among ancient Andeans.Opals on Mars Reveal Planet's Long Wet PastOpals found on Mars suggest the planet has been wet for much longer. |
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