Where Mammoth Ivory Is Mined Around the World
Almost all of the world’s extraction of fossil mammoth ivory is concentrated in the Russian Arctic, primarily in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). According to various estimates, the region holds 80–90% of the world’s reserves of mammoth remains — approximately 450,000–520,000 tonnes — making Russia the main supplier of this raw material to the global market.
The Main Region: Yakutia
The main trade is conducted in the North Yakutian bone-bearing province: on the coastal lowlands of the Yana–Kolyma interfluve, in the lower reaches of the Lena, Yana, Indigirka, Alazeya and Kolyma rivers, and on the New Siberian Islands.
Key extraction areas include:
- Ust-Yansky District
- Allaikhovsky District
- Bulunsky District
- Abyysky District
- Nizhnekolymsky District
- Anabarsky, Verkhoyansky, Srednekolymsky, Verkhnekolymsky and Olenyoksky districts
Bolshoy Lyakhovsky Island in the New Siberian Archipelago and the coast of the Primorskaya Lowland are considered particularly promising areas.
How and When It Is Extracted
Mammoth ivory is not obtained from living animals; it is the collection of remains preserved in permafrost, including tusks, bones and skeletal fragments. They are found in the tundra, ravines, river and lake banks, and on the beds of water bodies.
The season usually lasts from June to October, while rivers and coastal waters are free of ice. Teams reach remote areas by boat and survey shorelines, erosion sites and underwater sediments.
Other Regions of Russia
In addition to Yakutia, mammoth ivory is found and collected in Chukotka, especially in its western part; in Taimyr and the Yenisei–Khatanga interfluve; and in Magadan Oblast.
However, their share is small: according to estimates, these territories account for only about 5–7% of Russian extraction, while more than 90% comes from northern Yakutia.
Outside Russia
In North America — in Alaska, USA, and Canada — mammoth remains are also found and collected, but the scale is incomparable with Russia’s. These regions account for roughly 20% of global finds, while the bulk of the world market is still formed by supplies from Yakutia.
Scale and Exports
Around 150 tonnes of fossil mammoth ivory are extracted in Yakutia annually; in 2021, legal extraction was estimated at 160 tonnes, with tusks making up about 96% of the total.
Russia is effectively a global monopoly exporter of mammoth tusk. The main buyer is China, which accounts for approximately 80–90% of exports; Hong Kong, Japan and other countries in Southeast Asia are also significant markets.
Why the Arctic
Cold temperatures and permafrost have preserved the remains of woolly mammoths for thousands of years, allowing tusks to retain a density and structure close to elephant ivory. This makes northern Yakutia a unique source of raw material for bone-carving art, collecting and international trade.
