Meghalaya: Tolegre Cave temporarily closed for visitors after rare fossil discovery

Guwahati: The district administration in South Garo Hills, Meghalaya has ordered to close access temporarily to a cave near Tolegre village following the discovery of a potentially significant fossil.

Deputy Commissioner Shivansh Awasthi through an order restricted public entry to the cave until ongoing research is complete.

This closure is aimed at ensuring the protection of the fossil while experts analyze it.

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The fossil, believed to be 35-40 million years old, was unearthed earlier this year by the Core Geo Expeditions, a non-profit organization.

They suspect it may belong to either the extinct genera Rhodocetus or Ambulocetus, potentially representing a land ancestor of whales.

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To verify the discovery, the CGE requested the Geological Survey of India (GSI) to examine the fossil.

A GSI team is expected to arrive soon to authenticate the findings.