40,000-yo foal unearthed in Siberia’s ‘Gateway to the Underworld’ in perfect condition (PHOTO)

A three-month-old horse that lived up to 40,000 years ago has been discovered in the mysterious Batagai depression in Russia’s Yakutia region, nicknamed the ‘Gateway to the Underworld.’

The North-Eastern Federal University in Yakutsk published the first photo of the “unique” discovery, which was made together with scientists from Kindai University in Japan along with a crew from Fuji TV.

The horse was unearthed in perfect condition with its mane, tail and hair well preserved, as it was trapped in the permafrost for 30,000-40,000 years, scientists say. The discovery can help scientists to learn more about the environment of the time the foal lived, according to the head of the Mammoth Museum in Yakutsk, Semyon Grigoryev.

“This is the first find in the world of a pre-historic horse with such level of preservation and of such a young age,” Grigoryev said.

The Batagai crater in Verkhoyansky District of Yakutia has baffled scientists, and the nature of the mysterious site of unusual shape is still a matter of discussion. The ancient crater is still growing and strange noises reportedly emerge nearby, which is why the place received its spooky nickname.

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