The discovery of the skeletal remains of a giant pre-historic critter long hidden on Lake Chapala’s shoreline has been memorialized in a mural painted on the face of an abandoned tar storage tank located adjacent to the highway at the entrance to Santa Cruz de la Soledad.
The bones and tusks of the gomphotherium, an ancient cousin of mastodons and modern day elephants, were uncovered by chance on April 12, 2000 while Santa Cruz mariachi musician Juan Santos and his family were having picnic on the beach on the outskirts of town.
Following a meticulous excavation of the site, the fossilized remnants of the extinct animal were transferred to Guadalajara’s Museo de Paleontologia for conservation. The mural was designed and executed by a team of University of Guadalajara art students. The project was funded by a group of Santa Cruz natives residing in the United States. Juan Santos was recognized for his role in historic find by wielding the scissors for the September 17 ribbon cutting ceremony when the mural was unveiled.