Wildlife officials discover mysterious 12-foot-tall metal monolith in the middle of a Utah desert



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Government agents had a close encounter of the strange kind in the Utah desert.

A crew from the state’s Department of Wildlife was aboard a Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter when they spotted a mysterious monolith rising out of the earth last week.

About 10 to 12 feet tall, the shiny metal object was planted firmly in the ground, suggesting that it had not simply fallen from above.

Officials suggest it may have been built by an artist or big fan of 2001: Space Odyssey – the structure resembles the machines found in the Arthur C. Clarke story.

The unlabeled object is located inside a cove of red rock but, fearful amateurs could put themselves in danger trying to take a closer look, workers have withheld details of its exact location.

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A Utah Department of Wildlife worker spotted a shiny metal monolith in the desert.  The object is between 10 and 12 feet tall and is planted firmly in the ground

A worker from the Utah Department of Wildlife Resources spotted a shiny metal monolith in the desert. The object is between 10 and 12 feet tall and is planted firmly in the ground

The team was in the remote area counting the bighorn sheep when they spotted the unidentified object.

“ One of the biologists is the one who spotted it and we just flew directly over it, ” pilot Bret Hutchings told KSL-TV. ‘He was like,’ Whoa, whoa, whoa, turn around, turn around! ‘And I was like’ what ‘. And he said, ‘There’s that thing over there – we’ve got to go look at it!’

After the helicopter circled and landed, the crew went to the creek to investigate.

“ We were thinking, is NASA stuck up there or something? Do they bounce the satellites off it? Hutchings said.

Officials suggest it may have been built by an artist or big fan of 2001: Space Odyssey - the structure looks like the machines found in the Arthur C. Clarke story (pictured)

Officials suggest it may have been built by an artist or big fan of 2001: Space Odyssey – the structure looks like the machines found in the Arthur C. Clarke story (pictured)

The team was in the remote area to count the bighorn sheep when they spotted the unidentified object

The team was in the remote area to count the bighorn sheep when they spotted the unidentified object

`` We were thinking, is NASA stuck up there or something?  Do they bounce the satellites off it?  said Bret Hutchings, pilot for the Department of Public Safety

“ We were thinking, is NASA stuck up there or something? Do they bounce the satellites off? said Bret Hutchings, pilot for the Department of Public Safety

State workers climb the monolith to give an idea of ​​its size.  A biologist from the Bureau of Wildlife Resources spotted the object from the sky, prompting the crew to land and investigate.

State workers climb the monolith to give an idea of ​​its size. A biologist from the Bureau of Wildlife Resources spotted the object from the sky, prompting the crew to land and investigate.

“ We were kind of joking that if one of us suddenly goes missing then the rest of us are running for it. ”

Jokes aside, Hutchings thinks the structure is probably some kind of illustration.

“ I guess he’s a new wave artist or something or, you know, someone who was a great [2001: A Space Odyssey] fan, he said.

Department of Public Safety pilot Bret Hutchings told KSL-TV that the unmarked object `` is the strangest thing I have encountered in all my years of flying. ''

Department of Public Safety pilot Bret Hutchings told KSL-TV that the unmarked object “ is the strangest thing I have encountered in all my years of flying. ”

The monolith is located inside a cove of red rock, but workers have hidden details of its exact location to prevent others from putting themselves in danger by trying to take a closer look

The monolith is located inside a cove of red rock, but workers have hidden details of its exact location to prevent others from putting themselves in danger by trying to take a closer look

Utah has a history of “ land art, ” unusual installations that developed away from population centers in the 1960s and 1970s.

The most famous, Spiral Jetty, a 1,500-foot-long coil by artist Robert Smithson in 1970 that is made entirely of mud, salt crystals and basalt.

Located on the northeastern edge of Grand Lac Salé near Rozel Point, the jetty appears and disappears depending on water levels.

Utah has a history of land art, unusual installations far from population centers.  Located on the northeastern edge of Great Salt Lake, artist Robert Smithson's spiral pier is made of mud, salt, and basalt rock

Utah has a history of “land art”, unusual installations far from population centers. Located on the northeastern edge of Great Salt Lake, artist Robert Smithson’s spiral pier is made of mud, salt, and basalt rock

So far, no one has come forward to claim responsibility for the monolith, however.

“It’s just about the strangest thing I’ve known in all my years of flying,” Hutchings said.

The workers took videos and photos of the object, but left them there.

So far, that hasn’t bothered the bighorn sheep that live in the southern half of Utah.

Their population was once less than a thousand in the 1970s, but conservation efforts have seen them make a big comeback in recent decades.

The crew were in the remote area to count the bighorn sheep, which live in the southern half of Utah

The crew were in the remote area to count the bighorn sheep, which live in the southern half of Utah

Sheep are less wary of people in early December, which is their mating season.

“ Because they focus on courtship and reproduction, they will allow vehicles to get closer to them than they normally would, ” said Brent Stettler of the Utah Wildlife Division. at My National Parks Trip Media.

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