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



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Government workers had such a close encounter in the Utah desert.

A crew from the State Department of Natural Resources was aboard a Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter when they spotted a mysterious monolith protruding from the earth last week.

About 10-12 feet tall, the shiny metal object was firmly planted in the ground, suggesting it hadn’t just fallen from above.

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

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

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

A worker from the Utah Department of Natural Resources has found a shiny metal monolith in the desert. The object is between 10 and 12 feet tall and is firmly planted 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 happened to fly directly over the surface,” pilot Bret Hutchings told KSL-TV. ‘It was like,’ Whoa, whoa, whoa, turn around, turn around! ‘And I said “what”. And he says, “There’s this thing back there, we have to go and see it!”

After the helicopter returned and landed, the crew entered the bay to investigate.

‘We were thinking, is this something NASA has blocked up there or something? Are the satellites bouncing? Hutchings said.

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

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

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

'We were thinking, is this something NASA has blocked up there or something?  Are the satellites bouncing?  Department of Public Safety pilot Bret Hutchings said

‘We were thinking, is this something NASA has blocked up there or something? Are the satellites bouncing? Department of Public Safety pilot Bret Hutchings said

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

“We were joking that if one of us suddenly disappears, then the rest of us run for it.”

Seriously, Hutchings believes the structure is likely some kind of work of art.

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

Public Safety Department pilot Bret Hutchings told KSL-TV that the object is not marked

Department of Public Safety pilot Bret Hutchings told KSL-TV that the unmarked object “is the strangest thing I’ve encountered out there in all my years of flying,”

The monolith is located within a red rock bay, but workers have hidden details of its exact location to prevent others from putting themselves in harm's way by trying to take a closer look

The monolith is located within a red rock bay, but workers have hidden details of its exact location to prevent others from putting themselves in harm’s way by trying to take a closer look

Utah has a history of “land art”, unusual installations that arose far from the population centers in the 60s and 70s.

Most famously, Spiral Jetty, a 1,500-foot-long reel by artist Robert Smithson in 1970 made up entirely of mud, salt crystals and basalt.

Located on the northeastern edge of the Great Salt Lake near Rozel Point, the pier appears and disappears depending on the water level.

Utah has a history of

Utah has a history of “land art”, unusual installations far from built-up areas. Located on the northeastern edge of Great Salt Lake, artist Robert Smithson’s Spiral Jetty is made of mud, salt and basalt rock

However, so far no one has come forward to claim responsibility for the monolith.

“This was the strangest thing I’ve encountered out there in all my years of flying,” said Hutchings.

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

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

Their population had dropped to less than a thousand by the 1970s, but conservation efforts have seen them make a big comeback in recent decades.

The crew was in a remote area counting the bighorn sheep, which live in the southern half of Utah

The crew was in a remote area counting 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 are focused on courtship and breeding, they will allow vehicles to get closer to them than they normally would,” Brent Stettler of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources told My National Parks Trip Media.

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