It’s not only paleontologists such as Dr. Grant Zazula who are excited about the discovery of a well-preserved baby mammoth in the Klondike gold fields on June 21.

Jeff Bond, a geologist with the Yukon Geological Survey, spoke to the Star Tuesday afternoon about being one of the first people on the site of the discovery.

Bond said he and a colleague were doing field work at noon June 21 when the news broke that miners had uncovered the calf in the gold fields on Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in First Nations lands.

It was Zazula, on email, wondering desperately if they could help out.

Bond said basically, “Hell, yes!” and headed for the site about 105 minutes away.

He told the Star he’s been finding mammoth bones and teeth since he was doing field work here as a student in the mid-1990s but never expected to be actually holding a mammoth in his arms.

When he and his party arrived on the scene, it was obvious a storm was brewing, Bond said.

“We were gob-smacked,” he said. “I was totally in disbelief looking at the calf.”

Bond and his colleagues talked to the miner, who had been running a loader and had scooped up the calf.

They quickly took steps to ensure the calf was covered up as well as possible on site, and then rushed over to the site of the discovery.

The miner pointed out the cut where the mammoth was found, and Bond and his party immediately began a geological assessment.

Bond said conditions were almost ideal for the work, except for the incipient storm.

The calf was discovered in a layer well below a section that was full of volcanic ash from an eruption known as the Dawson tephra.

The ash has been dated to an eruption that occurred an estimated 25,300 years ago.

The calf was found approximately 10 feet below the level of the ash, prompting Bond to estimate it could be as much as 50,000 years old. More studies should allow a better estimate of the age, he said.

“We wanted to gather as much information as we could on the site where it was found, so we could place it in context.”

He said it was easy to confirm the site, as some tissues from the mammoth were still present in the cut into the stream bank.

As that initial work was finishing up, Bond said, the storm broke overhead.

“The thunder and lightning was incredible,” he told the Star.

Interestingly, Bond theorized the initial evidence suggests the calf might have drowned in the prehistoric Eureka Creek in a similar storm.

“The elders certainly thought it was a sign,” he said.

He and his colleagues then headed back to Dawson with the calf, where freezer facilities had been arranged.

The mammoth was still mostly frozen, although the trunk had thawed somewhat.

“The main body was still pretty frozen,” Bond said.

He and his team returned to the site two more times over the next few days to gather more evidence that will help conclusively date the specimen and the context in which it perished.

“We have all this information now,” he said. “It’s a world-class discovery, it’s complete, it’s impeccable and we have the context of the site to work with.

“I never expected to see anything like this,” Bond declared.

He also posted a lengthy story on his Facebook page about 
 the discovery.

“Dear friends, well, it has been a remarkable week here in the Klondike.

“As I sit here in my work trailer at the Bonanza Gold RV park and reflect, exciting, emotional, and exhausting come to mind. Never in my career did I think I would hold a woolly mammoth in my arms.”

Bond wrote, “I have made three 3.5-hour round trips to the site in the last four days. The first one was to bring this beloved animal back to Dawson for cold storage and make an initial site assessment with my colleagues.

“The second was to attend a First Nation blessing ceremony at the discovery site and collect further geological samples.

“The third was to refine the geological description of the unit in which she was buried, and collect samples for ancient 
DNA analyses.

“Time was of the essence because the site is changing rapidly under the midnight sun.

“During this frenzy of activity, I have had moments to reflect on what may have happened to Nun cho ga. I can only surmise, given the muddy nature of the sediments, and steep banks to the ancient creek, that she became overwhelmed.

“Most of all, I feel badly for her, and her untimely end. Her stolen opportunity to enjoy a full life. Perhaps through her rebirth she can teach all of us to appreciate the time we have.”

Bond said there is no timetable for when or if the mammoth calf will be put on public display.

It required nearly a year for a mummified ice age wolf pup to be put on view nearly two years ago.