What explorer ate his dogs? - briefly
The explorer who resorted to eating his dogs was Sir John Franklin during his ill-fated Arctic expedition in 1845.
What explorer ate his dogs? - in detail
The explorer who resorted to eating his dogs was Sir John Franklin, a British naval officer and Arctic explorer. In 1845, Franklin led an expedition of 129 men aboard two ships, HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, in search of the Northwest Passage. The expedition faced numerous challenges, including harsh weather conditions, ice packs, and food shortages. As the winter of 1846-1847 set in, the crew became stranded on King William Island, unable to move their ships due to the thick ice.
The situation grew desperate as supplies dwindled, and scurvy began to afflict many of the men. In a last-ditch effort to survive, Franklin and his crew turned to consuming the dogs that had accompanied them on the journey. This act was a stark indication of the dire circumstances they faced, highlighting the extreme measures taken in the face of starvation and desperation. The decision to eat their dogs underscored the grave reality of Arctic exploration during that era and the immense challenges explorers like Franklin encountered.