Woolly Mammoth Bones Discovered in Bulgaria's Danube Riverbed

A villager in Rjahowo, in Bulgaria’s Ruse region, uncovered a collection of bones in the dried‑out bed of the Danube River. Museum staff from the Regional Historical Museum Ruse recovered a jawbone, tusks, a shoulder blade, ribs and other fragments the next day.

Museum director Nikolay Nenov told AFP the remains are “very likely” from a woolly mammoth that died about 4,000 years ago. Curator Krasimir Kirov estimated the animal was nearly five metres long and weighed seven to eight tonnes. The concentration of bones at a single spot makes the find scientifically valuable. The fragile specimens are being conserved for eventual display at the Museum Ruse, about 30 km from the discovery site.

The find was enabled by record‑low water levels in the Danube, which have persisted since May 2026 due to drought and heat waves. The low water is also affecting other Danube‑bordering countries, for example prompting a temporary shutdown of Hungary’s Paks nuclear plant because of insufficient cooling water.