Saber-toothed cats come from the Homotherium genus. They are known for their canine teeth, which stuck out of their mouths to help grab and kill prey. Scientists hypothesize that the animals went extinct during the last Ice Age — about 12,000 years ago, during the end of the Pleistocene period.

While searching for mammoth tusks in eastern Siberia, scavengers found a rare ice mummy along the banks of the Badyarikha River. One of the many treasures to be unearthed in Siberia, the finding turned out to be a three-week-old saber-toothed kitten preserved in the permafrost.

In 2020, prospectors seeking mammoth tusks in eastern Siberia found a bundle of fur protruding from the icy bank of the Badyarikha River. The diggers knew they were looking at something rare: the Ice Age mummy of a cat cub.