Mammoths exhibition sign. Copyright Gretta Schifano
‘I kind of want to touch it’ says my son.
‘Yeah…it’s really cool’ agrees his friend.
We definitely can’t touch what we’re looking at: a baby woolly mammoth who lived around 42,000 years ago and is now on display in a glass case at London’s Natural History Museum.
Lyuba
Her name is Lyuba (pronounced Looba – it means ‘love’ in Russian) and she was found by reindeer herder Yuri Khudi and his sons in 2007 as they looked for wood along the frozen Yuribel river in Siberia. Scientists believe that she became stuck in wet clay and mud which then froze, preserving her body for thousands of years. She was just one month old when she died and her mother’s milk was still in her stomach when she was found.
Lyuba is the most complete woolly mammoth ever to have been found anywhere in the world. Her tail and most of her coat are missing and her trunk is shrunken but she’s pretty much intact and is 85 cms tall and 130 cms long – about the size of a large dog.
Lyuba takes pride of place in the Mammoths exhibition running at the Natural History Museum from now until 7th September, 2014. The baby mammoth is owned by the Shemanovsky Museum-Exhibition Complex in Russia and this is the first time that she’s been exhibited in Europe. I feel privileged to be looking at this amazing creature.
Lyuba the baby Mammoth, copyright Natural History Museum
Mammoths exhibition
My son and his friend, 11 and 10, hadn’t been tremendously keen to come to the exhibition – they’d rather spend their INSET day playing Minecraft – but once inside they enjoy trying out the interactive exhibits and learning all about mammoths.
The exhibition covers different species of mammoth from the giant spiral-tusked Colombian mammoth to the dwarf mammoth as well as ice age creatures such as the mastodon and the giant cave bear. It looks at how and why these prehistoric animals evolved and became extinct and at the possibility of cloning them.
Mammoths exhibition. Copyright Gretta Schifano
The exhibition is definitely geared up for children— many of the exhibits have signs inviting you to touch them. As we walk around the exhibition it seems to answer all of the questions the boys have about these animals: ‘Aren’t mammoths the ancestors of elephants?’ says my son just before we reach a display answering this very question:
Display at Mammoths exhibition. Copyright Gretta Schifano.
The boys like trying out the interactive exhibits such as the mechanical trunk and the mammoth’s dinner which you can lift up to test your strength. The short information videos are great and engage their attention perfectly.
Elephants
The last part of the exhibition looks at the conservation of the mammoth’s relative the elephant, the largest land mammal on earth today. Elephants are under threat from poachers, conflict and the loss of habitat. I really hope that they don’t end up like their ancestors the mammoths, exhibits in glass cases in museums.
The verdict
The boys and I really enjoyed this exhibition and I would definitely recommend it to families with children.
The lowdown
Entrance to the Mammoths exhibition costs £10 for adults, £6 for children age 4-16, £28 for a family and under-4s are free. Entrance to the main Natural History Museum is free but donations are welcome. Thank you to the Natural History Museum for inviting me to review the exhibition.
Ooh this exhibition looks fascinating! Might have to head along over there to see it 🙂
Carolynne @ Mummy Endeavours recently posted…Holidays Blues
Aw, poor thing! What a sad end. Looks like a great exhibition.
Globalmouse recently posted…Roadtest – Jack Wolfskin Cloudburst Jacket
wow that baby mammoth is incredible! what a fab exhibition! x
Fritha recently posted…Father’s day dreams
I heard about this on Radio 4 the other month and so wanted to visit. I hope it stays around long enough for us to get there
Kizzy recently posted…Can’t share your views – Do you still read? #NaBloPoMo
This looks like a great trip – especially since my kids favourite exhibit in Cardoff’s museum is a very old and battered (but moving!!_ woolly mammoth! I am just starting to plan day trips for the Summer so will add this to my list of possibilities…
LearnerMother recently posted…You want to start a blog? Stop reading, start writing!
My kids so want to go to this! you have be convinced now
Jane @ northernmum recently posted…The Al Fresco Diaries – BB’s fourth Birthday
We love the Natural History Museum and this looks like a great exhibition x
Kirsty Hijacked By Twins recently posted…How Does Your Garden Grow – Week 23
Hopefully you could book tickets as unfortunately most schools have their holidays at the same time and you can never get anywhere near getting into the Natural History Museum . My grandbabies would love this but its a risk to travel 300 miles on the off chance
Yes, you can book tickets online and we went in through a side entrance so avoided the huge queue at the front.
I had heard about this but seeing the baby Mammoth has given me chills down my spine. How incredible to be so close to an animal that roamed the Earth so many years ago. I am so glad the exhibition is running for the whole of the Summer so we will definitely have a chance to see it. Thanks for sharing x
Kirsty recently posted…Easy Fathers Day Card
What a great exhibition to go and see. x
You Baby Me Mummy recently posted…I’m ‘Taking Shape’ – Stylist session
It seems like such a narrow subject for a paying exhibition, I’m not sure I could justify the expense but I’m definitely going to think about going.
This sounds like an amazing exhibition. I love the photos and it sounds well worth a visit.
Zena’s Suitcase recently posted…Our Birth Story: Induction of Labour
We are hoping to get to this during the summer. It looks ACE and I know the boys will love it
Jen aka The Mad House recently posted…My Kitchen Shelves #Shelfie
Wow that’s an experience to go and see.
Angela Spicer recently posted…Top Ten Ideas For Entertaining A Child On A Long Haul Flight
We saw the reproduced Lyuba at the mammoths exhibition in Edinburgh – such an amazing story. I heard the real Lyuba was coming to London; how amazing you got the chance to see her.
Trish – Mum’s Gone to recently posted…Waxing lyrical about having a Brazilian
It was very exciting to see her, she’s very cute and babyish even though she’s a bit dried up.
That baby mammoth absolutely amazing. It made me feel a bit sad when I read she still had her mum’s milk in her stomach.
The kids would love to see her, pity we live so far away.
Shell Louise recently posted…How does your garden grow? June 5th
I know, it made me sad too. She looks very vulnerable.