Extinct Mastodon Discovered in New York Comes to Life on the Open Road

ITHACA, N.Y., June 28 -- Phoenix-based U-Haul International, Inc. , in partnership with the Paleontological Research Institution (PRI) in Ithaca, N.Y., announced today the release of 600 new 26-foot moving trucks with the vibrant image of the Hyde Park, N.Y., mastodon promoting the state of New York and this exceptional discovery.

A mastodon is an extinct elephant-like beast that roamed the Earth during the Ice Age millions of years ago and disappeared 14,000 years ago. What makes this mastodon unique to the state of New York is that it was found in a suburban backyard pond in upstate New York and it is the most complete mastodon skeleton in the world.

"Celebrating 60 years of service to moving families across North America, U-Haul continues to be an integral part of American culture," stated John "JT" Taylor, U-Haul executive vice president. "We are thrilled to partner with PRI to educate the public about this extinct creature and to encourage people to visit New York and see all that this great state has to offer. People in the communities and on the highways of America will have the privilege of seeing this larger-than-life image of the New York mastodon come to life for years to come."

"PRI is very excited that U-Haul has chosen the Hyde Park mastodon to represent New York state, since mastodons have been found and studied here for more than 200 years," declared Warren Allmon, director, PRI and the Museum of the Earth. "Now, even more people across America will learn about these amazing creatures and perhaps be stimulated to learn about the history of ancient life in their own backyards."

The New York mastodon imaging will be produced at Kar-Go Decal Company in Ivyland, Pa., and shipped to several of the 11 North American U-Haul fabrication and assembly plants for installation on the new 26-foot moving trucks.

U-Haul has been decorating its moving trucks with vibrant images featuring distinctive features of every U.S. state and Canadian province since 1988 with the launch of the "Salute to America" SuperGraphics campaign. The newest graphics are part of the "Venture Across America" campaign that highlights little-known facts about North America. Nearly 200 different images have been created since the SuperGraphics Program began. They can be viewed online by visiting www.uhaul.com.