Press Releases
A Mammoth Summer Awaits: A chance for everyone to join in the fun
Date:
2025-07-19For the last four months the main hall at National Museum Cardiff has been the new home to a 3D printed Mammoth. The three-metre-tall ancient creature has been a popular hit with museum visitors and now it needs a name to really fit into the Museum Wales family.
Today [Saturday July 19] National Museum Cardiff are calling on the public to join in and take part in a campaign to come up with a name for our newest - yet prehistoric - resident.
The “Name Our Mammoth” campaign launches to coincide with the start of the school summer holidays and will run until the St Fagans Food Festival in September. The initiative invites families, schools and museum visitors to submit name suggestions for the mammoth, which has been on display in the museum’s Main Hall since March.
To help with suggestions for the name of the mammoth here are a few facts about its history:
It’s a ‘child of the 80s’ having been spotted by a dog walker in September 1986 on a farm in Condover, Shropshire.
After being recovered by a team of scientists and local volunteers it was worked out that the bones were between 14,000 and 14,500 years old, making them the last recorded mammoths in Britain and some of the last recorded in Europe.
Due to its size we know that it would have been a male adult mammoth.
Mared Maggs, Head of National Museum Cardiff, said:
“Having seen the mammoth take residency in our Main Hall since March and thousands of people coming through our doors to see the amazing creature, we feel that it’s only fair everyone gets the opportunity to suggest a name for our newest resident.
“So if you haven’t been down to see it yet then come and visit us and get the inspiration because who knows, your entry might be the winning one.”
The mammoth fun doesn’t stop there. Throughout our Summer of Fun we will have mammoth themed events at National Museum Cardiff including family paint along, talks, and an augmented reality experience which takes you on a journey back to the Ice Age. Keep an eye out as well at the cafe for some mammoth themed feasts available for all the family.
Our exhibitions and public engagement programme is made possible thanks to the players of People's Postcode Lottery.
Laura Chow, head of charities at People’s Postcode Lottery, said:
“It’s fantastic to see the excitement building around the mammoth at National Museum Cardiff. Creative campaigns like ‘Name Our Mammoth’ are a brilliant way to spark imagination, curiosity and a deeper connection with our shared history, especially for families and young people. Thanks to the support of players of People’s Postcode Lottery, we’re proud to help make moments like this accessible to everyone this summer.”
Now officially open, the Name Our Mammoth campaign is accessible for anyone across the world to enter. Names can be submitted either by visiting us at National Museum Cardiff or going to our website: Name the Mammoth.
The opportunity to submit your name will close at the conclusion of the St Fagans Food Festival on 14 September, after which a panel will whittle down all the entries to a few names which will then go back out to the public to vote on your favourite.
For more Mammoth updates, follow us on our social channels.
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
For more information or images please contact
Lowri Williams, Marketing and Content Officer
Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales
Amgueddfa Cymru belongs to everyone and is here for everyone to use. We’re a charity and a family of seven national museums and a collections centre, located across the country. Our aim is to inspire everyone through Wales’s story, at our museums, in communities and digitally.
Our welcome is free thanks to funding from the Welsh Government and extends to people from all communities.
Play your part in Wales’s story: by visiting, volunteering, by joining, by donating.
Follow the campaign on social media:
Facebook: @museumcardiff
Instagram: @museumwales
Linked-in: Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales