While it feels distinctly like one of those cringe-inducing “…and finally” items, news that a massive mutt in England is visible from space is yet more evidence of the growing appeal attributed to the Google Earth mapping application.
Massive Bournemouth bull mastiff so big he can be seen from space. Image: Lamerie/Flickr.
According to various UK newspaper reports, hulking bull mastiff Boris, a gargantuan 196lbs (88.5kg) beast from Dorset, is so big that Google imaging satellites passing overhead at a distance of between 300 and 450 miles (480-725 km) have been able to grab clear pictures of him.
The Google Earth images showing Tudor Grange Hotel in Bournemouth, where Boris lives with hotel owners the Milner family, reveal the dog to be lounging in the grounds by an old sundial, which is apparently his favourite place to lazily soak up a few rays.
Fran Milner, 24, who owns Boris, revealed that her brother-in-law was casually searching through destinations on Google Earth when he zoomed down to look at Tudor Grange Hotel and was startled to see “a big brown blob” that could only be Boris.
“We all had a look and couldn’t believe it,” commented Milner. “I knew he was big but didn’t think he was big enough to be seen from space.”
Boris has since become somewhat of an unwitting celebrity in the quiet holiday resort town, with hotel guests eager to have their pictures snapped with the lolling but loveable dog.
“They all want a picture with him -- he’s probably the most photographed dog in Bournemouth,” added Milner.
The sudden elevation of Boris to unofficial Bournemouth tourist attraction is perhaps less likely to be attributed to a Google Earth snapshot and more to the fact that at 196lbs he’s considered big -- even for a towering bull mastiff.
Typically, the breed is expected to grow to around 126lbs (57kg), but Boris exceeds that weight by a substantial 70lbs (32kg), giving him a total weight that equates to around three adult German Shepherds.
According to his owners, Boris’s father was also somewhat of a beast, although they do concede that the extra size could have been helped along by Boris’s penchant for a traditional fat-heavy English breakfast (i.e., sausage, bacon, eggs, mushrooms, baked beans, fried tomatoes), which he devours almost daily.
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