By Wilson Wong - NBC News
A
mysterious metal monolith
was discovered in Utah after public safety officials spotted the object while on a routine wildlife viewing mission.
A helicopter crew from the Utah Department of Public Safety Aerospace Office was helping to count bighorn sheep in southeastern Utah, that office reported.
The pilot, Bret Hutchings, said that one of the members of the flight saw the object in a remote area of red rocks,
in a scene that appeared to be taken from the film
2001: A Space Odyssey
.
Utah Department of Public Safety officials discovered the monolith in a remote area of Red Rock County via REUTERS
"He was like, 'Wait, wait, wait, turn around, turn around!' And I said 'what?' And he said, 'There's something back there, we have to go see it! ”Hutchings told CNN affiliate KSL.
"We just fly directly over the object," he added.
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Hutchings said the origin of the silver metal monolith remains a mystery, but that it appeared to be an art installation and was "between 10 and 12 feet tall."
"It is illegal to install unauthorized structures or art on public land administered by the federal government,
no matter what planet it is from
," the Utah Department of Public Safety said in a statement released Monday.
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The department said it was unclear who or what installed the monolith and that they would not reveal the exact location of the object for security reasons.
They added that the Land Administration Bureau will determine whether further investigation is warranted.
