POLICE this week renewed their appeals to trace thieves who stole animal bones dating back more than 100,000 years, from the William Pengelly Trust Cave Centre, Buckfastleigh.

Among them was this juvenile straight-tusked elephant tooth (right). It is believed the animal was about four years old when it fell into the cave.

The Joint Mitnor and Reeds Cave has an internationally recognised deposit of animal bones from the warm-climate period between the last two ice ages.

They are from elephant, hippopotamus, lion, bear, hyena, bison, wolf and deer that roamed the area.

The thieves forced the locks off the steel security doors at the cave’s entrance sometime between September 3 and September 12, and as well as making off with the bones, they also trashed the talus cone demonstration area.

Alan Finch, the secretary of the Pengelly Centre, which is jointly run with the Devon Wildlife Trust, said it was not known exactly what bones had been taken but it appeared a deer bone and a wolf tooth had gone.

Now security at the caves has been beefed up.

‘They were certainly very determined. Value wise it is worth pennies, but scientifically it is priceless,’ said Mr Finch who believed the elephant’s tooth had presumably been regarded as a trophy.

Sadly, unless it is carefully handled, it will quickly deteriorate as it dries out and it is likely to break up.

The caves are also an internationally known roost for lesser horseshoe and greater horseshoe bats, as well as other bat species, and by law the caves are automatically closed during the winter months.

‘Because of that we will not be able to do any physical restoration or repairs until May,’ added Mr Finch.

Police believe there might be an attempt to sell the bones on eBay or other online sites, or possibly to a local shop.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the police on 101 quoting the crime reference – CR/63839/15.