Russian divers brave frozen river to find fossils

These divers are hunting for ancient bones

in the frozen and fossil-rich Tobol river

Location: Kurgan, Russia

Russian palaeontologists are looking for

ancient shark teeth

bones of mammoths

and other extinct animals

(SOUNDBITE) (Russian) AMATEUR PALEONTHOLOGIST, YAROSLAV MAKAROV, SAYING

"Among our rare finds was a bone from a cave lion - which was an extreme rarity then and still is. As for the Turgai Sea and the West Siberian Glacial Lake period, we found fossil teeth from sharks and shark rays. They are all precious and unique and they have fantastic energy in them."

Winter is the best time to search as the river is

shallower

slower moving

and has better transparency

(SOUNDBITE) (Russian) HEAD OF TRITON DIVING CLUB IN YEKATERINBURG CITY, SAYING:

"There is no bigger pleasure but to overcome such difficulties and to see something which no-one else has seen before you. They're artefacts from tens of thousands or millions of years ago. It gives a rare pleasure and thrill."

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