The value of a single tusk can equal the combined salary of five years of work for an average person. This truly is a job that “turns dreams into reality” for ordinary individuals.
In the cold lands of Russia, there exists a group of people who engage in a unique profession, working only 2 months a year, yet their income can reach tens of billions of VND. Some refer to them as “grave diggers”, while others say they are in the business of digging for “teeth,” much like gold mining. However, what they are unearthing is not gold or jewels, but woolly mammoth tusks, along with rare ancient horns and fur.
Those who dig for woolly mammoth tusks.
The phenomenon of global warming is no longer a novelty. Every summer, the permafrost in Siberia begins to melt. Those engaged in mammoth tusk digging prepare for their journey to “hunt for treasure.”
For just 2 short months, these individuals work tirelessly day and night, seeking opportunities to enrich themselves and provide a better life for their families.
It is said that a complete woolly mammoth tusk, weighing around 65 kg, can be sold for about 40,000 USD (nearly 1 billion VND). If luck is on their side, they might unearth 2-3 tusks in a week, with earnings reaching up to 100,000 USD (almost 2.5 billion VND).
Siberia – The Pursuit of the Dream of “Overnight Wealth”
Siberia, located in the northeastern region of Russia, is the largest administrative area in the world’s largest country.
Most mountain ranges and tundras here lie within the permafrost zone, with long winters and temperature variations from summer that can reach up to 75 degrees Celsius.
The resources of Siberia are incredibly abundant, including oil, natural gas, and coal. Additionally, there are vast quantities of diamonds and other rare minerals.
Siberia is also regarded as the location where the most woolly mammoth tusks have been found to date, with around 90% of the world’s mammoth tusks originating from this area.
Siberia is regarded as the primary location for finding woolly mammoth tusks.
Statistics reveal that before 2018, over 100 tons of woolly mammoth tusks were discovered in Siberia each year. Experts suggest that this number could increase as more than 550,000 tons of tusks are believed to still be buried beneath the ground.
Siberia is also home to some of the most well-preserved woolly mammoth remains, including a young mammoth found in 2012.
50,000 years ago, Siberia was a lush grassland, home to many herds of woolly mammoths. These ancient creatures were massive, similar to modern elephants, but their tusks were much longer and more curved.
However, due to climatic changes (with hypotheses suggesting human hunting activities), woolly mammoths went extinct about 10,000 years ago. Yet, thanks to the unique climatic conditions, their remains have not fully decomposed, preserved in the permafrost.
The profession of digging for woolly mammoth tusks has thrived in recent years. Initially, the locals discovered tusks in the soil, followed by merchants seeking to purchase them at high prices. With already low incomes, it was nearly impossible for locals to resist the immense economic value of these ancient tusks.
A Lucrative Profession, So Why Aren’t More People Engaging?
Despite this being a job that could lead to “overnight wealth,” very few are willing to embark on the 2-month journey of mammoth tusk digging each year.
This ancient creature is massive, similar to today’s elephants, but with significantly more curved tusks.
Those seeking woolly mammoth tusks legally must belong to a specific group and possess the necessary permits. The movements of these groups are shrouded in mystery, with locations kept secret, and specialized security personnel ensuring that only trusted individuals can join.
High profits often come with many unforeseen dark sides. Not all mammoth tusk digging groups are legitimate; most consist of amateur teams operating illegally. In such cases, it becomes even more challenging for the average person to participate.
Even for those who meet the criteria to join a tusk-digging team, many may not withstand the harsh conditions prevalent during the two-month “treasure hunt.”
In the summer of 2016, a photographer participated and documented his experience of a three-week tusk-digging expedition. He successfully joined a group under the condition that he would not disclose their identity or the digging location, taking responsibility for cooking and logistics for the team.
1. A Harsh Existence
All participants are male.
All participants are male. They leave their families and children behind, living a “subhuman” existence, covered in mud, sheltered in simple huts, consuming canned food, constantly plagued by mosquitoes, and frequently suffering from fevers due to mosquito bites.
The workload is heavy, the environment is harsh, and there is almost no recreational activity. Each day, they cling to the dream of finding a tusk for an overnight fortune, but experience disappointment time and again, surrounded by pressure and frustration.
2. Danger at Every Turn
According to local regulations, woolly mammoth tusks can only be excavated from melting permafrost.
Sometimes, to expand the excavation area, they may use water guns to create tunnels.
To legally obtain woolly mammoth tusks, the diggers have utilized high-pressure water guns to accelerate the melting of the ice. Sometimes, to expand the excavation area, they may also employ water guns to create tunnels, digging deep into the ground, sometimes up to 60 meters. The unstable mountain structures pose a high risk of landslides and collapses.
The mammoth tusk diggers here share a common habit: they tend to drink excessively, and many become alcoholics, leading to conflicts that can escalate into violent encounters resulting in fatalities.
What’s more concerning is that ancient organisms could potentially carry unidentified viruses. Woolly mammoths preserved in the tundra may harbor ancient viruses that could come back to life given the right environmental conditions, posing unpredictable dangers.
3. Only 20-30% of Tusks Diggers Make a Profit
The profession of digging for mammoth tusks requires substantial capital.
The power of high-pressure water guns comes from fuel pumps. If working day and night, a team may consume 5 tons of diesel fuel in 3 weeks. Many teams consist of impoverished amateurs who struggle to make ends meet, let alone afford high-pressure water guns, pumps, and fuel. Consequently, they often take significant risks to secure funding for their wealth-building endeavors.
However, not everyone is fortunate enough to find complete woolly mammoth tusks; many leave without even a glimpse of a tusk, only retrieving some “economically worthless” bones.
The fate of most woolly mammoth tusk diggers is: to be away from their families, risking their lives to excavate what lies beneath the thick ice, only to return empty-handed and burdened with massive debts.
Statistics show that only about 20-30% of those digging for woolly mammoth tusks make a profit, while the rest incur losses.
In this trade, the “buying agents” are the ones who truly reap the profits. A complete woolly mammoth tusk may be purchased for tens of thousands of USD, but after processing, its value can soar to hundreds of thousands of USD, and it may even reach a million USD depending on its size, age, and rarity.
Is the Trade of Woolly Mammoth Tusks Legal?
Globally, except for a few regions, most transactions involving woolly mammoth tusks are legal, as purchasing these tusks does not involve killing woolly mammoths and does not impact the extinction risk of current elephant species.
Globally, except for a few regions, most transactions involving woolly mammoth tusks are legal.
From a different perspective, the trade of mammoth ivory can be beneficial for the protection of modern elephants. Since the trade of elephant ivory has been banned, international demand has only increased. The emergence of mammoth ivory can be seen as a substitute to reduce or even prevent the illegal killing of elephants.
However, there are still many instances of “law evasion,” where the trade of mammoth ivory is used as a cover, mixed with modern elephant ivory for transactions.
Mammoth ivory and regular elephant ivory are different, for example, mammoth tusks are more curved, and after a thousand years of being frozen, they are relatively brittle and have a yellowish hue.
A professional can easily distinguish between the two, but for a “novice,” it’s a different story.
Scientists are also concerned that excessive exploitation of elephant ivory (using water guns to dig up the ground, digging holes, etc.) could destroy the local ecological environment. Although many places have enacted regulations prohibiting illegal ivory digging, the penalties for violations are very low; first-time offenders may only be fined $45, and an individual must be caught three times before being prosecuted.
Moreover, this industry does not contribute positively to research efforts. This is a significant loss for the scientific community.
