Thick sheets of ice cover much of the world. Many plants can’t survive the harsh weather. Neither can many animals, and only the strong live. A wolf’s spine-tingling howl sounds over the glacier. He wanders an icy Northern Hemisphere. Famished, he searches for prey. Due to years and years of cold, there are fewer animals to hunt. And this wolf is competing for food against other large animals: mastodons, saber-toothed cats, and giant sloths.

That’s how some people imagine the world of an Ice Age wolf.

But, imagine no more! Russian scientists have chipped an ancient wolf head out of Siberia’s frozen ground. And the discovery makes them shiver! Usually, skeletons this old are just that—bare bones. But this head is in great shape.

What a huge discovery! The frozen temperatures in far northern parts of the world keep things from rotting. But this find is exceptional. It is the first Ice Age wolf to be found with fur. The fuzzy discovery has ears, a tongue, and a perfectly preserved brain. Scientists can tell the animal lived thousands of years ago—about the same time mammoths were stomping through their snow-and-ice-bound world.

Exactly when did Ice Age animals roam the Earth? Scientists have different ideas. Even Christians disagree about it. Some say millions of years ago. Some say thousands of years ago. But one thing all Christians say is this: “The universe was created by the word of God.” (Hebrews 11:3)

Experts think the large wolf is an adult. They believe wolves from this time were considerably larger than today’s wolves—at least 25 percent bigger. The discovered head measures almost 16 inches long. Today’s Siberian gray wolves have skulls measuring only about nine inches. It’s not clear whether the ancient wolf was male or female. But its impressive fangs are permanently frozen in a snarl.

As this frozen head thaws out, many questions could be answered, including this one: What cut off the wolf’s head?