Frozen baby mammoth makes debut in Tokyo

The Yomiuri Shimbun

A frozen baby mammoth that was found in May 2007 in western Siberia was put on display in Tokyo on Wednesday, the first time it has been shown to the public anywhere in the world.

The mammoth is thought to be a 6-month-old female that lived about 37,000 years ago. The man who discovered it named it after his wife.

Lyuba, who is about 1.2 meters long and weighs about 50 kilograms, was found almost perfectly preserved in permafrost and has since attracted attention from researchers around the world.

The exhibition held at the Marunouchi Building near Tokyo Station in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, has drawn large crowds.

A couple from Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture, who had lined up for an hour before the exhibition opened said they were excited to see Lyuba because they had not been able to see the frozen mammoth that was displayed at the 2005 World Exposition Aichi.

The exhibition will continue until Feb. 3.

(Jan. 4, 2008)