  Sanctuary's mammoths are unique in more than just the fact that they are an extinct megafauna on most Earths. The mammoths of the caldera are a unique subspecies evolved for dealing with the area's wetter climate and magical threats.For one, the caldera's wetter seasons mean more mud than the mammoths' ancestors might have been exposed to. Caldera Mammoths have longer, stronger legs and less hair on them. They also have a different digestive system to deal with the caldera's richer grasses-- an adaptation even more important when they transition to Harbor to avoid Crackle Season and give birth. Caldera Mammoths spend most of the year in Sanctuary, including its harsh winters. However, being the biggest land animal in the caldera that cannot also hibernate in a cave, they are left exposed during the season where the caldera's mutating magic storms become the worst. So during late winter, when Crackle Season nears, they have evolved to take somewhat of a gamble-- they shed almost all their fur and migrate. This is necessary, because the place they migrate to, Harbor, is a tropical rainforest. By the time they reach Thunder Meadow, where they will spend the remainder of Crackle Season, all that remains are specialized bristles for keeping insects off. Under the protection of the sauropod herds they mix with, the mammoths give birth there, and spend the rest of the season fattening up on the sugar rich grasses of the Dome. This also triggers a gradual change in their digestive systems, because when they return to the caldera in the early spring, they will do so still mostly furless. They will rely upon built up fat stores and the heat from fermenting vegetation in their guts to keep them warm until enough of their hair grows back. Caldera Mammoths are extremely social creatures who form tight bonds with their herds. Though they are not typically aggressive outside of certain seasons, they also excellent at facial recognition, and will often charge and trample individuals they have marked as hunters.
WHERE CAN THE MAMMOTHS BE FOUND?
On the grassy plains of the caldera's Mammoth Steppes, east of the City of Sanctuary all year round except for the last month and a half of winter - about mid January to the end of February. They can be found in Thunder Meadow in the Dome during this time until early spring.
CAN MAMMOTHS BE TAMED?
Theoretically, yes, but Sanctuary and the AotM do not allow the practice, as breaking the adults or stealing the babies is considered cruel. There is, however, a guild that rescues and rehabilitates orphaned and injured mammoths, which sometimes become friendly with people afterwards, though this is not always considered to be to their benefit.
WHAT DOES MAMMOTH TASTE LIKE?
Though Sanctuary does allow for a very short mammoth hunting season, it is mostly for things like their hides and ivory. Mammoth meat is technically edible, but it's tough and greasy and not very tasty. That does mean its sold for very cheap, however, or given away. Many try it as a curiosity, and it can be rendered into something more palatable with some work, but it's mostly a byproduct rather than the purpose of a hunt. |
 HUNTING SEASON (Click to Expand!)
Hunting season for mammoths is tightly regulated in Sanctuary and controlled jointly by the city and the AotM. A city meeting is called and problematic mammoths discussed. When an individual that has become overly aggressive or a habitual crop raider is identified, it is voted on if they should become a mark or not. Females or young mammoths are almost never culled, even if they exhibit some problematic behaviors. They're too important to the herd. Older males, however, may occasionally be marked. At the start of the season there is a competition to 'ring' one of the tusks of the marked mammoths with a sturdy, but flexible cuff-- usually a color bright enough to be seen from far off. That mammoth is then marked for culling, and the individual who managed to mark them usually gets a prize and a whole lot of reason to boast. Interested hunters may then purchase a mammoth license for the season at the AotM's outpost in Sanctuary's city square, or at the Omphalos itself. The marked mammoths, and only the marked mammoths are fair game, and the competition is usually fierce. A Mammoth License is typically around  5 Gold. The money goes towards the preservation and study of the species.Poaching does occasionally happen in Harbor, but it's a lot harder to hunt the mammoths there. The mammoths don't often willingly venture into the jungle, and they enjoy considerable protection from their own herds and the sauropods they've developed a symbiotic relationship with. |
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