ALMATY – The fossils of a woolly mammoth estimated to have lived between 40,000 and 15,000 years ago have been discovered near the Novobratskoye village in the Bulandy district of the Akmola region.
Photo credit: National Museum of Kazakhstan Click to see the map in full size. The map is designed by The Astana Times.
The discovery, made on the bank of the Konyr River, includes a lower jaw and limb bones believed to have belonged to an adult mammoth aged approximately 40–50 years, reported the National Museum of Kazakhstan press service on Oct. 13.
The rare find was made by employees of the agricultural holding, Adilet Omarov and Alzhan Rakishev, who promptly notified museum specialists. The remains are now being kept in the museum’s scientific laboratory under carefully controlled temperature and humidity conditions.
According to experts, the fact that the jaw and limb bones were found intact and in close proximity may indicate that a complete mammoth skeleton could be preserved at the site. The museum’s scientific team plans to carry out systematic archaeological and paleontological excavations in the area during the next field season.
If confirmed, the discovery would mark a significant contribution to the study of Ice Age fauna in Kazakhstan, offering new insights into the prehistoric environment of the region.
