Saffron Walden Museum is delving into the prehistoric past with its new interactive mammoth display.
The display features a life-sized woolly mammoth head, equipped with a flexible trunk for giving mammoth hugs.
The as-yet-unnamed mammoth was inspired by a mammoth tusk in the museum's collections, which was discovered nearby in a gravel pit alongside Walden Road.
Fossils show that woolly mammoths were roaming around the area around 35,000 years ago.
Charlotte Pratt, the museum's learning and outreach officer, facilitated the creation of the mammoth head as part of a community art project.
She said: "Our mammoth has been a real joint effort between staff, volunteers and visitors throughout the summer.
"It’s made mostly from recycled materials and is a real testament to community and teamwork.
“I would like to thank everyone who helped make it happen – from our younger visitors who helped with papier-mâché and sticking on hair, to our grown-up visitors who chatted with me about how best to make the tusks, and of course my colleagues and volunteers who collected materials and spent hours helping me felt the wool for his coat.
"I hope everyone will come and have their photo taken with the newest member of the team!"
The mammoth joins a large array of other interactive displays at the museum, including explorer backpacks, an archaeology sandpit, an upgraded digital microscope and the recently added Roman dressing up station.
Charlotte added: "We are working hard to continue to improve our museum to make it an even greater place for families to explore.
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"The team is bursting with ideas to keep improving visitor experience, so why not join us with a season ticket so you can pop back regularly to see what’s new."
The museum will soon be inviting entries to a 'name that mammoth' competition, for a chance to give the life-size woolly head a name.
Saffron Walden Museum in Museum Street is one of the country's oldest local purpose-built museums.
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