Lyuba

Imagine my surprise when coming out of Hong Kong Station and into IFC Mall I found a replica of a large wooly mammoth skeleton. Every few weeks there is another surprise when it comes to mall exhibits. This one was educational as well as entertaining.

This skeletal creature will most certainly catch the eye and make you want to see more. The exhibit told the story of the wooly mammoth and how they roamed the upper reaches of Russia more than 40,000 years ago. Just looking at the foot of one of these creatures puts you in awe of the cave men who hunted them. I just cannot imagine.

But the real purpose of the exhibit was to showcase Lyuba. Lyuba is a Russian word meaning love. It is also the name given to a fully preserved baby mammoth. It is believed that Lyuba lived about 42,000 years ago and was buried in the permafrost until a few years back. She was found as the area around her began to melt. She is 7 or 8 months old and the lack of hunting scars and marks from predators has led the scientists to believe that Lyuba froze to death. She is only the third baby mammoth to be found and the best specimen to date. It is anticipated that there will be more finds as climate change affects the state of the glaciers and the permafrost area decreases.


After examining her using modern day imaging and checking the contents of her stomach, she has proven a valuable source of information on life at that very cold and difficult time. She is now fully preserved and used for educational purposes. She was a bit difficult to photograph because of the glare from the glass, but I did get one good shot.

The signs promoting her visit to Hong Kong simply read "We Love Lyuba." After seeing her, I do too.