KALAR, Kurdistan Region - A large, unidentified bone was found in southern Sulaimani province on Wednesday. An animal rights activist said it could be the remains of an extinct mammoth. The bone is 80 centimetres long and 25 centimetre wide. It was found in Mansour Alkan village, near the town of Kalar in the Garmyan independent administration. Salih Qadir made the discovery. “When I first saw it, I did not touch it,” he told Rudaw on Friday. When he realized the size of the bone, he contacted the authorities, as well as animal activists and academics. The bone has been sent to Sulaimani University for examination. Nimaat Malo, head of Wildlife Lovers Group, a local wild animal rights organization, told Rudaw that they believe the bone belongs to a giant animal. “The bone is currently at Sulaimani University for scientific examination purposes. It appears to belong to a giant animal, such as an elephant or an extinct mammoth. We are waiting for the results of the examination,” he said. According to data from the Garmyan archaeology department, 420 locations have been recognized as archaeological sites but only ten have been examined.
