Mummified baby woolly mammoth discovered in Yukon 'most complete' find in North America: officials



Officials in Yukon announced the discovery of a near complete, mummified baby woolly mammoth, found in gold fields on First Nation territory, June 24, 2022. (Yukon Government)

Michael Lee
CTVNews.ca Writer
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Published June 24, 2022 2:48 p.m. EDT

Miners working in a gold field in Yukon have uncovered what is being called the "most complete" mummified woolly mammoth found to date in North America, officials announced on Friday.

A joint statement from the Government of Yukon and Tr'ondek Hwech'in First Nation said on June 21 that miners working on Eureka Creek in the Klondike gold fields found a frozen, near complete woolly mammoth while excavating through permafrost in Tr'ondek Hwech'in traditional territory.

Tr'ondek Hwech'in elders have since named the mammoth calf Nun cho ga, which means "big baby animal" in the Han language.

"The Yukon has always been an internationally renowned leader for ice age and Beringia research. We are thrilled about this significant discovery of a mummified woolly mammoth calf: Nun cho ga," Minister of Tourism and Culture Ranj Pillai said.