The Sal’awa or السلعوة in Arabic is an elusive dog-like creature in the modern folklore of Egypt.
Description
The Sal’awa is described to be the size of a dog, have hind legs that are somewhat longer than its front legs, a large muzzle that “resembles that of a hyena” and big canine teeth. It has a large tail, striped fur and pointed ears which are also oversized.
Sightings
The Sal’awa first appeared on the eastern edges of Cairo in the 60s and 70s then reappeared in 1996 in the village of Armant in upper Egypt and in Cairo. It’s also claimed to be responsible for another short bout of attacks in 2005 and in October 2008. Some of these attacks resulted in the death and hospitalization of some adults and a few children.
See also
Sal'awa is also associated with the Egyptian god of darkness and chaos, Seth, who had a pet called Set. This animal is described as a creature with squared ears, downward snout and a canine body with forked tail.
Theories
Some speculate that the Sal’awa must be a hybrid of a dog and a wolf or a dog and a jackal. according to the Field Guide to the Mammals of Egypt, the only wolf species recorded in Egypt (Canis lupus) is found in the Sinai – a long way away from Cairo and upper Egypt.