A truly unique and highly attractive exhibit is housed within the National Museum in Kikinda, featuring the mammoth known as Kika, which captivates visitors and tourists alike. Discovered over 30 years ago in the vicinity of the Toza Marković factory, the mammoth has become a treasure for all history and natural science enthusiasts.

The Discovery and Its Journey

For the first decade following the discovery of the skeleton, it was kept within the Toza Marković factory. Few knew of its existence, so visitors and tourists would sometimes come to see it without knowing it was there. It wasn’t until a decade later, when the factory signed an agreement with the Natural History Museum in Belgrade, that the skeleton was moved to the National Museum in Kikinda. Thanks to a special project, the museum received funding to create a dedicated space for the original skeleton, which is now on permanent display in a glass vitrine. The replica visitors can see in the museum courtyard is made of plastic and can withstand various weather conditions, including sun, rain, and snow.

The Significance and Details

The significance of the Kikinda mammoth lies in the fact that 93% of the skeletal remains were found in one place, belonging to a single animal. This is rare worldwide. The mammoth likely died in a swamp that once existed where Kikinda is today, and her remains were preserved in the clay at a depth of 20 meters in the Toza Marković factory's clay pit. The bones, which are half a million years old, have been extensively studied, revealing details about the mammoth's age, diet, and health issues such as rheumatism and spondylosis.

Comparing these findings with existing data on mammoths has provided an intriguing story. The museum has a 17-minute film called “The Kikinda Mammoth,” which details the mammoth's life and significance. The film mentions that the people of Kikinda might be the first to have seen these mammoths, as no humans were present in the region at the time of the mammoth's existence. Mammoths moved in search of food and warmer climates, leading them to different areas.

The mammoth stood 4.7 meters tall and was 7 meters long, 3.3 meters wide, and weighed 7 tons. She was described as a slender old lady, having lived to 65 years and weighed only 7 tons, which is less than male mammoths of the same age.

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