Wildlife officials in Utah were in a remote area counting sheep from a helicopter when they discovered a shiny metal monolith that looks straight out of a Stanley Kubrick film.
It is estimated to be about 10 to 12 feet high, and its glistening surface is in sharp contrast to the large red rocks that surround it.
Wednesday’s discovery appears to have been firmly planted in the soil, and not dropped from above.
On Instagram, Utah’s highway patrol shared a picture of the bizarre finding with a caption reading: “Counting big horn sheep with DWR this week. During the counts we came across this, in the middle of nowhere, buried deep in the rock. Inquiring minds want to know, what the heck is it? Anyone? ?????”
The helicopter pilot, Bret Hutchings, had an idea, telling local news channel KSLTV: “I’m assuming it’s some new wave artist or something or, you know, somebody that was a big ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ fan.”
The monolith and its setting resemble a famous scene from the 1968 film, in which a group of apes encounter a giant slab on the planet Jupiter.
“One of the biologists is the one who spotted it and we just happened to fly directly over the top of it,” Hutchings said. “He was like, ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa, turn around, turn around!’ And I was like, ‘What?’ And he’s like, ‘There’s this thing back there — we’ve got to go look at it!’”
“That’s been about the strangest thing that I’ve come across out there in all my years of flying,” he added.
Hutchings was flying for the Utah Department of Public Safety, which was helping wildlife resource officers count bighorn sheep in the south of the state.
Richard W
Any true scientific study been made, yet?
Wes
I think they just found it Rich, I would like to know the material it is made out of. It is strange someone or something placed it here. I agree with you, lets get someone with a scientific background take a look at it.
MICHAEL R
It looks like there’s rivets on it, so I would guess it’s man made. But why its there is another question entirely..
Asheim
I too would really like to know the material it is made out of. Will we ever hear?
Charles R
Black Ops project just screwing around ?
Kristi S
Wondering the same.
Coop
Looks like welds, not rivets. I would say its stainless steel. Funny how the tip of one of the edges aligns to the vertical crack and how at the bottom of the crack it looks like a depression that would hold water. Also to the right of the crack is two holes in the rock that could be used to place idols and stuff as a makeshift alter. Another weird aspect is that if you look straight down on the area, it looks like a giant sundial. Makes me wonder if there is any astrological alignments, like summer or winter solstice. Just ideas to toss around haha.
acrylic sand artist
Coop, your thoughts are spot on!
Charles R
I like your thinking. After seeing this on the TV last night, I did notice what I assumed were either rivets, or screws, which would exclude alien technology build which is more akin to our 3 D printing, but surely much or highly evolved. This very well could be welds, maybe spot welds and it certainly could be used as a sun dial.
Ed M
Looks like a memorial to someone with the plaque removed. Hence the 4 holes in the face. Or maybe they are still waiting for the plaque to be finished.
Cathy S
Apparently aliens didn’t know it was illegal to put anything there.
Jan F
Maybe look at Google map and and older version.
Richard H
It’s an art project and nothing more I’ll bet, and it’s really well done. The inner child in people loves to make up stories about nearly everything unexplained. That’s not dragging your show in the least Wes!! I haven’t seen a Sasquatch that I know about but I’ve had some strange experiences out in the boon toonies myself ( especially up on Mt. Shasta ).