Mysterious Monolith in Utah Desert Mysteriously Disappears

If you're into bizarre and/or unexplained discoveries, you probably heard about the mysterious monolith that was discovered in the middle of Utah last week. Officers were helping the Division of Wildlife Resources count bighorn sheep somewhere in rural southeastern Utah when they spotted the monolith, which stood between 10 to 12 feet tall. We say "stood" and not "stands" because it appears there's a new mystery on top of the already existing one: the monolith has disappeared!

According to CNN, the monolith was removed by an "unknown party" Friday night. Utah's Bureau of Land Management issued a statement on Saturday, saying, "We have received credible reports that the illegally installed structure, referred to as the 'monolith,' has been removed." The post added, "The BLM did not remove the structure, which is considered private property."

The monolith sparked lots of exciting theories, naturally many of which involved alien life forms. Well, this added portion of the mystery certainly won't keep the true believers at bay. Did the aliens return for their monolith? Did an unknown branch of the government seize it? Is it sitting in Area 51 getting tested? Was it simply stolen by some curious onlookers? We certainly hope the truth will come to light eventually because this mystery is a doozy.

"One of the biologists ... spotted it, and we just happened to fly directly over the top of it," Utah DPS pilot Bret Hutchings told KSL after the monolith was discovered. "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!'"

Hutchings suspects the mysterious item was planted by a "new wave artist."

"We were kind of joking around that if one of us suddenly disappears, then the rest of us make a run for it," Hutchings added. "I'm assuming it's some new wave artist or something or, you know, somebody that was a big [2001: A Space Odyssey] fan."

In the statement released by the Department of Public Safety, the outfit refused to reveal where exactly the monolith was located since it could have posed a danger to people hoping to catch a glimpse.

"The exact location of the installation is not being disclosed since it is in a very remote area and if individuals were to attempt to visit the area, there is a significant possibility they may become stranded and require rescue," the statement read before adding, "It is illegal to install structures or art without authorization on federally managed public lands, no matter what planet you're from."

Well, it appears not disclosing the monolith's location didn't help! What do you think happened? Was this the work of an alien, an art thief, or someone/something else? Maybe it transported one unlucky onlooker to Maveth? Tell us your guesses in the comments!