West Runton Elephant

West Runton Elephant is an archaeological site on the Norfolk coast where remains of an extinct mammoth were discovered embedded in the cliff face. The bones belong to an ancient creature that roamed this region during an ice age period, offering a window into prehistoric animal life in Britain.

Local people spotted large bones protruding from the cliff in 1990, triggering systematic excavations at the site. Scientific investigation of the finds allowed researchers to determine the origin and age of these prehistoric animal remains with precision.

The Norfolk Museums Service maintains sections of the skeleton across multiple locations, enabling researchers to study prehistoric animal life.

The excavated bones are now housed at different locations, including a bone cast at Seaview Beach Cafe and replicas in museums for closer study. Visitors can explore the site itself, where information panels explain details of the discovery and its significance.

Researchers were able to extract and analyze ancient proteins from the bones, providing rare insight into the genetic makeup of prehistoric creatures. Such organic material is seldom preserved long enough to be studied millions of years later.