In the latest turn of events in the rollercoaster that has been 2020, the mysterious monolith found in the Utah desert has disappeared.
Utah's Bureau of Land Management took to social media to reveal that it had received "credible reports" that an "unknown party" has removed the monolith.
These YouTubers filmed themselves visiting the monolith before it vanished:The Bureau said in a statement posted on Facebook: "We have received credible reports that the illegally installed structure, referred to as the 'monolith', has been removed from Bureau of Land Management (BLM) public lands by an unknown party.
"The BLM did not remove the structure which is considered private property. We do not investigate crimes involving private property which are handled by the local sheriff's office.
"The structure has received international and national attention and we received reports that a person or group removed it on the evening of Nov. 27."
Ryan Bacher, a Utah helicopter pilot, told KSL that he saw the monolith on Friday, but a day later when his friend visited, it had disappeared.
The origins of the four-meter (12ft) high metal block remain a mystery.
The monolith was first discovered last week, but according to Google Maps, it has been in existence since 2016.
People have been fascinated by the mysterious object and theorized how it came to be in the middle of the desert, speculating everything from aliens to a deceased American sculptor who could have put it there.
Utah's Bureau of Land Management said of the discovery: "Although we can't comment on active investigations, the Bureau of Land Management would like to remind public land visitors that using, occupying, or developing the public lands or their resources without a required authorization is illegal, no matter what planet you are from."
The Bureau then encouraged people not to attempt to visit the mysterious structure, saying: "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.
"We are encouraging anyone who knows the location of the monolith to not attempt to visit it due to road conditions."
While the mystery of the monolith appeared to be solved when gallery owner David Zwirner released a statement saying that it was "definitely" a secret piece from artist John McCracken, this claim has since been refuted.
A spokesperson from The David Zwirner Gallery told Art News: "While this is not a work by the late American artist John McCracken, we suspect it is a work by a fellow artist paying homage to McCracken."
