Many young boys have an innate curiosity to explore their surroundings, hoping to stumble upon something extraordinary. That’s precisely what happened to an 11-year-old Russian boy who, while exploring his local neighborhood, discovered something that had not been seen for over a century. The curious boy uncovered an almost fully intact woolly mammoth, complete with flesh, bones, fur, and layers of fat, providing an unprecedented glimpse into the prehistoric era.
Incredible: An 11-year-old boy uncovered this nearly intact wooly mammoth in north Russia
It is believed the remains – which include a tusk – are the right half of the body, weighing in at 500kg.
The Moscow News reports it is a male which died about 30,000 years ago at the age of 15. It has remained frozen in permafrost ever since.
The boy who made the astonishing discovery has been named as Yevgeny Salinder, ABC News reported.
He found the frozen beast in Taymyr, north Russia, where he lives with his family, close to the Sopkarga polar station.
Woolly mammoths have been found in the permafrost in Siberia since at least 1929, but this is one of the best preserved, researchers believe.
Its tusks, mouth and rib cage are clearly visible.
Rare: It is believed the remains – which include a tusk – are the right half of the body, weighing in at 500kg
Remains: It is believed to be a male which died about 30,000 years ago at the age of 15
After telling his parents about his incredible find, scientists were able to confirm the discovery.
It is believed to be the second best preserved mammoth ever unearthed and the best mammoth discovery since 1901.
It has now been named Zhenya after the boy’s nickname and will be studied by scientists.
Alexei Tikhonov, a mammoth specialist with the Russian Academy of Sciences, told journalists that the last time such a well-preserved mammoth was found in Russia was in 1901, also in the Krasnoyarsk region, but much farther south, according to the statement.
The carcass will become an exhibit at the Taimir Regional Studies Museum, but museum staff have agreed to allow scientists from zoological and paleontological institutes in Moscow and St. Petersburg study it first.
