Press Release
Mammoth fossil returns to Sky Islands for the Santa Cruz County Fair
Not every kid gets to make history. But in 1968, 12-year-old Juan Padilla did just that when he stumbled upon some fossils on his way to school.
Lucky for us, the Elgin youth knew what he was looking at. And subsequently, the “big guns” from the University of Arizona were called in to extract the relic.
The relic happened to be a mammoth (genus Mammuthus), an extinct group of elephants that roamed the earth from 300,000 B.C. to 1,650 B.C. Weighing roughly six tons and standing 10 to 12 feet tall, the herbivores are believed to have become extinct as a result of a warming climate that reduced habitat.
Now, for the first time in 56 years, the Elgin mammoth returns to the area for a limited engagement at the Bowman-Stradling History Center (BSHC) as part of the Santa Cruz County Fair. Located inside Pioneer Hall at the fairgrounds, 3412 S. Highway 83, Sonoita, the History Center will be open 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Friday, Saturday and Sunday, September 13, 14 and 15. Admission is free.
In addition to the mammoth fossil and mammoth teeth, other fossils on display will include trilobites, a saber-tooth tiger skull cast, a T. rex tooth, ammonites and the ever-popular dinosaur poop.
“We are delighted to bring the mammoth home, even for a short visit,” said Cami Cheatham Schlappy, BSHC Historian. “While the history center is committed to communicating the area’s rich ranching heritage, we cannot forget that before cattle, other species roamed this land. We are excited to introduce at least one of them to fair attendees.”
Also present for this event will be Ron Hyde, curator of the Sierra Vista’s Southern Arizona Museum of Science & Technology, who loaned some artifacts for this limited fair exhibit.
For more information on the exhibit or the Bowman-Stradling History Center, contact Carrie White at carriettalumia@gmail.com