Mastodon unveiled at State Museum

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - The skeleton of a 3-ton mastodon, named Fred, was unveiled at the Indiana State Museum Thursday evening.

The museum’s most complete skeleton is among the most complete mastodons in the country, according to a release.

The recovered bones, that make up 80 percent of the mastodon, were unveiled in an invitation-only ceremony Thursday evening but will be available for public viewing starting Friday.

The bones are part of the most extensive collection of mastodon bones in the United States. The remains were found on a family farm in rural Allen County in Sept. 1998.

Dan Buesching discovered the 9-foot tusk on his farm near Fort Wayne.

He and members of his family helped transfer Fred to the museum and also sponsored the mammal’s skull, which weights 250-pounds.

The mastodon will be part of the Indiana State Museum’s Age of Ice exhibit.