What began as a routine autumn drive to photograph wildlife ended in a discovery that has provided the Manitoba Museum with its most complete specimen of an extinct bison species.
In October 2020, Portage la Prairie resident Kim Kelso was walking along the banks of the Assiniboine River south of town when she spotted horns protruding from the sand. Her father joined her, and together they excavated nearly 300 pieces of an almost complete skeleton.
After contacting the Manitoba Museum, Kelso learned the remains belonged to a species of bison that inhabited the region thousands of years ago. Radiocarbon dating eventually confirmed the animal died around 1640 BC, making the fossils approximately 3,670 years old.
“I was intrigued,” Kelso said. “I didn’t know there was anything else down there except the skull, but once he started digging around, we found more than 300 pieces of that animal.”
The family spent the winter carefully cleaning and assembling the bones, a process Kelso likened to a massive 3D puzzle, under the guidance of museum curators. To prevent the ancient bones from cracking, she had to follow specific preservation techniques to slow the drying process.
Named “Humphrey” by Kelso, a nod to actor Humphrey Bogart and the animal’s distinctive hump, the specimen was officially donated to the museum. Curators informed Kelso that the skeleton is the most complete of its kind in their collection and will be used by scientists and biologists for study.
Paleontologists believe Humphrey was preserved because he was buried by sediment quickly after death, possibly after falling through river ice or being caught in a prehistoric flood. This prevented scavengers from scattering the remains.
“The natural history curator told me the stars had to align for this fossil to be formed, discovered, and preserved without being damaged,” Kelso said.
The discovery also served as a legal and historical lesson. Kelso learned that fossils are considered heritage items in Manitoba and cannot be sold or moved out of the province. Furthermore, since the remains were found on Crown land, defined as territory within 90 feet of the water’s edge, they officially belong to the province.
While Humphrey now resides in the museum’s “behind the scenes” collection, Kelso and her father are listed as the official co-discoverers. “They told me that this donation was more meaningful to them than money because of its rarity and uniqueness,” she said.
By Renee Lilley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Original Published on May 08, 2026 at 23:25
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