LOOK: George R.R. Martin pays tribute to dead wolf named after GoT’s ‘Ghost’
HBO’s critically acclaimed series “Game of Thrones” has never been shy of killing off its human characters.
However, some fans are left more heartbroken when one of the show’s resident pets—the “dire wolves”—are tragically killed off.
A recent Twitter announcement by the epic saga’s author George R.R. Martin has left fans reeling, as a real-life wolf-dog named after the character Ghost died over the weekend.
In loving memory of the real life Ghost from the Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary. He passed this week & he will be missed. R.I.P pic.twitter.com/FHGRpagEiC
— George RR Martin (@GRRMspeaking) May 23, 2017
“In loving memory of the real life Ghost from the Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary. He passed this week & he will be missed. R.I.P,” Martin wrote along with a photo of Ghost, which has since been retweeted over seven thousand times.
The departed Albino Artic Wolf was part of a pack of wolf-dogs that the Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary in New Mexico took in from Iowa in 2012, according to the New York Daily News.
The center allowed Martin and his wife Parris to name the animals—which were then given GoT-inspired monikers. To this day, the couple continue to financially support the center, the report said.
Article continues after this advertisement“Ghost,” meanwhile, is the namesake of Jon Snow’s (Kit Harrington) primary companion throughout the series. Martin, however, did not specify what caused the wolf’s sudden demise.
Article continues after this advertisementHe was also quick to dismiss assumptions that the dead wolf is the same one who plays Ghost in the show.
Clarification, this was the wolf rescued by Wild Spirt and dubbed Ghost. NOT the wolf who plays Ghost on the show. https://t.co/SesDFCWBjc
— George RR Martin (@GRRMspeaking) May 23, 2017
The “dire wolf” on television is played by Quigley, a 9-year-old Arctic wolf from Canada. JB
RELATED STORY:
LOOK: HBO teases new character looks for ‘Game of Thrones’ season 7