Discovery of the best-preserved mammoth in Siberia has become the reason for environmentalist’s happiness as well as concern. The 6 months old calf, now called Lyuba, was unearthed in May last year by a reindeer herder. It is virtually intact and even has some fur, though the tail and ear of the animal were apparently bitten off.

The International Mammoth Committee believes this to be the greatest discovery in the mammoth world as it will unveil the real reason behind the extinction of mammoths and so, shed light on the fate of human beings. These elephant-like beasts roamed the earth about 4.8 million years ago to 4,000 years ago. Researchers have always debated whether their death was due to change in climate or over-hunting by man.

Coming to the reason of worry, scientists are perturbed that the ice in Siberia is melting due to global warming. This could accelerate climate change by releasing large amounts of warming carbon dioxide gases into the atmosphere.