Woolly mammoth tusk found in gravel pit near Saskatoon

Workers at a gravel pit near Saskatoon have made a fascinating discovery.

In October, workers at Inland Aggregates noticed an odd object while stockpiling gravel.

They quickly called the Royal Saskatchewan Museum for help. Researchers there confirmed the object was a mammoth tusk.

"Conservation of ivory from fossil animals is extremely delicate," said museum curator of vertebrate paleontology Tim Tokaryk. "Once the tusk becomes exposed to air, it begins to dry out, expand, and crack,"

Tokaryk said it was lucky the workers acted quickly.

"If left untreated, it would be totally destroyed," he said. "It would be lost to everyone if it had not been for them."

The tusk is now in the care of the museum, where it is being preserved.

According to the province, fossils are regularly dug up at gravel pits, mines and during road construction.

In 2013, a mammoth leg bone was discovered at a gravel pit in the area. That bone was also added to the museum's collection.