Shinano, Nagano Pref. – Every three years, professional and amateur zooarchaeologists flock to Lake Nojiri, Nagano Prefecture, to search for the remains of an ancient giant: Naumann’s elephant.
Naumann’s elephant looked much like a cross between today’s Asian elephant and the woolly mammoth. Unlike its contemporary cousin, however, Naumann’s elephant was not covered in thick hair, although it flourished long tusks and had a tall, protruding forehead.
The last of this species likely went extinct 26,000 years ago, around the same time humans are believed to have arrived in Japan.
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