Lupe the Mammoth

A life-sized bronze mammoth stands beside Guadalupe River Trail at the spot where the bones of Lupe were discovered in 2005. The sculpture, installed by the local Rotary Club in 2018, marks one of the most significant paleontological finds in California's Bay Area. The actual fossil — the only complete Columbian mammoth ever found in the region — is displayed at the Children's Discovery Museum a couple of kilometres downstream.

The site is a short detour off the Guadalupe River Trail, which runs roughly north–south through the city. Combine it with a walk or a bike ride along the trail itself; the mix of office parks, river greenery, and the absurd fact of a mammoth statue in a suburban setting is one of San Jose's quietly characteristic experiences.

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A story
In July 2005 a man walking his dog along Guadalupe Creek spotted what looked like a tusk poking out of the bank. It turned out to be a Columbian mammoth that had died around 12,500 years ago. The full skeleton was excavated by the Children's Discovery Museum, named Lupe after the creek, and the bones are now on permanent display at the museum.

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