A newly crafted statue has been unveiled on Front Street in Dawson City, Yukon, standing next to the town’s existing mammoth sculpture. The baby mammoth sculpture made its debut earlier this month as a tribute to the incredibly well-preserved baby mammoth known as Nun cho ga, which was unearthed by a placer miner in 2022.
The artist behind the creation, Halin de Repentigny, shared that his inspiration came from wanting to bring the ancient creature back to life. After conducting thorough research on Nun cho ga and envisioning how the baby mammoth appeared over 35,000 years ago, de Repentigny meticulously crafted the sculpture from clay, rebar, and cement, a process that spanned a couple of months.
Once completed, the decision to place the baby mammoth sculpture next to its larger relative, the giant mammoth statue erected in 2020 on Front Street, was a natural choice. Both statues were funded by a local miner, Tim Cole, who saw it as a valuable opportunity to contribute to the town’s artistic landscape.
De Repentigny expressed his hope that the community, particularly children, would interact with the sculptures, even suggesting the possibility of future additions like a female mammoth or a sabre-tooth tiger. He emphasized the importance of community involvement in future projects, acknowledging the physical challenges of creating such intricate artwork.
Visitors like Melinda Stanfield from Portland, Oregon, marveled at the artistry and historical significance of the mammoth statues in the Klondike region, expressing admiration for the talent and effort put into their creation.