Mysterious silver monolith vanishes from Utah desert, officials say

A mysterious monolith that created a furor after being discovered in a remote southern Utah desert has vanished, federal officials say.

An “unknown party” removed the gleaming metal monolith Friday night, the Bureau of Land Management reported on Facebook.

“The BLM did not remove the structure which is considered private property,” the post reads. Any investigation will be conducted by local law enforcement.

A hiker reported seeing the monolith Friday, but confirmed it was gone on a return visit 24 hours later, KSL reported.

Utah state workers first spotted the monolith from a helicopter Nov. 18 while counting bighorn sheep, CNN reported. State officials initially kept the location a secret to discourage visitors, but hikers soon discovered the object and publicized its coordinates.

The metal monolith, resembling something from “2001: A Space Odyssey,” created headlines around the world. The creators and purpose of the monolith remain unknown.

Visitor David Surber reported the monolith was hollow and constructed from three metal pieces riveted together, USA Today reported. He said it was not magnetic.

Bureau of Land Management officials earlier said they suspected the monolith was some sort of art installation, according to the publication.

This story was originally published November 29, 2020 at 6:37 AM with the headline "Mysterious silver monolith vanishes from Utah desert, officials say."