Shiny mystery monolith removed from mountains outside Las Vegas

The mysterious monolith in Gass Peak, part of the vast Desert National Wildlife Refuge in Nevada (Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department via AP)

A strange monolith found jutting out of rocks in a remote mountain range near Las Vegas has been taken down by authorities.

Its discovery over the weekend, and quick removal, revived a pandemic-era mystery that captured the public’s imagination when similar objects began to appear around the world.