An “almost complete” mummified baby woolly mammoth was found in a Canadian gold mine

The elders of Trʼondëk Hwëchʼin, a group of the first nations to live along the Yukon River for millennia, named the calf mammoth Nun Choga, which means “big baby animal” in the Han language.

The head of Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in, Roberta Joseph, called the discovery “a remarkable recovery for our first nation” in the publication.

“We look forward to working with the Yukon government on the next steps in the process of moving forward with these remains in a way that respects our traditions, culture and laws. We are grateful to the elders who have guided us so far and the name they have given us, ”said Joseph.

The baby is female and probably died during the ice age more than 30,000 years ago, according to the report. While a partial mammoth calf was discovered in 1948 in Alaska, Nun cha go was the first nearly complete and best-preserved mummified woolly mammoth found in North America.

“It’s amazing,” Tr’ondek elder Hwehin Peggy Cormendi said in a news release. “It took my breath away when they removed the tarpaulin. We should all treat each other with respect.”

Restoring the mummified calf requires cooperation between Treadstone Mining, Trʼondëk Hwëchʼin and the Yukon government, the statement said.

“As a paleontologist from the ice age, it was one of my life dreams to come face to face with a real woolly mammoth,” Yukon paleontologist Grant Zazula said in a statement. “This dream has come true today. Nun cho ga is beautiful and one of the most amazing mummified ice age animals ever discovered in the world. I am excited to get to know her better.”

Scientists believe that the woolly mammoths that roamed North America along with wild horses, cave lions and giant bison became extinct 4,000 years ago. As an adult, Nun Choga could grow up to 13 feet to her shoulder. On Twitter, geomorphologist Dan Sugar described his own experience in helping the mummified baby recover, noting the “incredible” preservation of her nails, skin and hair on her legs, trunk and intestines.

“Being part of the recovery of Nun cho ga, the baby woolly mammoth found in the Klondike permafrost this week (on Solstice and Indigenous Day!), Was the most exciting scientific thing I’ve ever been a part of, even, “he wrote.