SHILLONG: A rare fossil, estimated to be 35 to 40 million years old that was unearthed last year in Meghalaya’s South Garo Hills has been reported stolen by villagers, police said.
A metal grill and lock installed by the government to prevent damage to the site in Tolegre village was recently reported to have been broken. A complaint was filed at the Siju police station and the case is being investigated.
South Garo Hills superintendent of police (SP) Shailendra Banamiya said the police station received information about the incident on January 28. “Thereafter, the complaint was registered, and a police team was sent to confirm the incident. I myself am at the location right now,” Banamiya said.
Underlining that it was not easy to access the site, Banamiya explained: “I had to crawl about 350 feet to get to the spot because the passage in the cave is very narrow. The thief or thieves managed to cut through the grill and get inside. After its discovery last year, the government had sealed off the place to prevent visitors from disturbing the fossil and to protect it for future investigation and studies.”
The district police chief said investigators were working on leads. “Though it is too premature to make any announcements, we are confident of a break soon,” he said.
Meghalaya’s education minister Rakkam Sangma, who represents the constituency in the assembly, said villagers told him that they have filed an FIR.
“This is very unfortunate. A portion of the fossil has been taken. It is a valuable asset to both the state and the country, and we will find and apprehend those responsible,” Sangma said.
The minister said the state government was considering a suggestion to build a museum here. “As the local MLA, I was advocating for it. Now, we will see how things unfold, and the police will investigate.”
Siju, located in Meghalaya’s South Garo Hills, has been known for its limestone caves, particularly the Siju Cave or “Bat Cave.” However, the region gained international attention in February 2024 when a team from Core Geo Expedition (CGE), a non-profit organization, discovered fossil specimens in Gongdap village near Tolegre, about 10 kilometers from Siju Cave.
The discovery was led by Romanian speleologist Tudor Tamas, along with local guides Milton M. Sangma and Salban M. Sangma. Their findings suggested that the fossils were from prehistoric whale ancestors dating back to the Middle Eocene epoch (39-47 million years ago). The CGE team alerted district authorities to ensure proper scientific documentation and preservation.
The Geological Survey of India (GSI) subsequently dispatched a team led by Bashisha Iangrai, an expert in paleontology. She conducted a detailed study and confirmed that the fossils belonged to the Siju limestone member of the Shella formation and Jaintia group of rocks.
Shortly after the GSI team completed its initial survey, Meghalayan Age Limited (MAL), a subsidiary of the state tourism department, issued a directive halting further exploration citing an increasing number of visitors, which posed a risk to the site’s integrity.