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Mysterious, Mirrored Monolith Appears In Nevada Desert
In a déjà vu moment, a mysterious, mirrored monolith has appeared in the Nevada desert, reminiscent of several that cropped up around the world in 2020.
Las Vegas Search & Rescue volunteers found this blast from the pandemic past — or evidence of alien visitation, take your pick — nonchalantly nestled in a remote mountain range about 20 miles north of Las Vegas, near Gass Peak in the Desert National Wildlife Refuge. Normally one would see only the bighorn sheep and desert tortoises that populate the sanctuary.
This photo provided by Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department shows a monolith near Gass Peak, Nev., on Sunday, June 16, 2024. (Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department via AP) "We see a lot of weird things when people go hiking, like not being prepared for the weather, not bringing enough water," the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department tweeted Tuesday on X. "But check this out!"
The rectangular prism perched overlooking the distant Las Vegas valley immediately brings to mind Stanley Kubrick's 1968 sci-fi classic, "2001: A Space Odyssey."
The 2020 monoliths — which appeared in such disparate places as Utah, Romania, California, and New Mexico — were 10-12 feet-high prisms, all but the Romanian one smooth. Taken down or vanished within days — one within hours — of their appearance, the monoliths were never fully explained, though theories abounded about their origins.
Las Vegas police wasted no time scratching their heads over how the new monolith got to the remote, hard-to-access spot, before using the attention to turn the sighting into a public service announcement about heated hiking.
"While the internet gets to work on this mystery, remember: when enjoying our incredible outdoors, use the TRAIL acronym," the department wrote, urging hikers to tell someone where they're planning to go and when they expect to return; thoroughly research the weather forecast before setting out; bring first aid supplies and plenty of extra food and water; pack for inclement weather and a potential overnight stay, and don't forget a light source.
The warning was especially cogent given the heat wave enveloping much of the U.S. This week. In the Las Vegas area, triple-digit temperatures are expected.
The recent deaths of several tourists who went hiking or took a seemingly innocuous stroll on some of Greece's islands during blistering heat underscored the need to be aware of the effects high temperatures can have during even just a short walk.
With News Wire Services
Lonely Galapagos Tortoise Finds The Love Of His Life On Tinder
Anyone who's tried online dating has their fair share of horror stories, from matches who look nothing like their profile picture to the people who spend the whole date talking only about themselves.
Yet, for every nightmare first date, there's a shining example of finding love against all odds, which was certainly true for Hugo, a Galapagos Tortoise from Australia.
Hugo the Galapagos Tortoise is a one-of-kind creature, as he's a member of the 12 endangered subspecies of Galapagos Tortoise that still exist today.
Hugo had made a nice little life for himself at the Australian Reptile Park, where he's lived since 1963 when he was brought there as an ambassador for his endangered species.
The giant tortoise's hobbies include eating watermelon, nibbling grass, swimming, and having his neck scratched by his adoring caretakers.
While Hugo has always been well-cared for by his human companions, he couldn't help but feel like something was missing from his life.
He started showing signs of loneliness, which culminated in trying to start romances with various inanimate objects and animals from other species.
First, Hugo initiated a relationship with a goose named Lenny. When that relationship fizzled out, he tried to get close to a shell-shaped rock in his habitat, but the rock didn't exactly return his affection.
Ellie Burgin / Pexels
Galapagos Tortoises weren't always so rare, yet mistreatment by humans put the giant reptiles on the endangered species list.
Two hundred years ago, the Galapagos Islands housed 200,000 giant tortoises. Now, four species of tortoise are extinct, and only 10% of the original number remain alive.
Whalers in the 19th century used these majestic tortoises as food. In recent years, their habitats have been endangered by predation and human contact.
There are many conservation efforts working to protect the tortoises who are still alive while also trying to repopulate the species overall.
Ata Y / Pexels
Galapagos Tortoises are a protected species, which means there are various restrictions in place that make it difficult to just acquire one, much to Hugo's disappointment.
Yet Hugo's caretakers weren't going to let him continue living alone.
The Reptile Park made an online dating profile for Hugo, seeking a wildlife sanctuary with another tortoise who was single and ready to mingle.A zoo in Germany offered a potential match for Hugo: a 21-year-old Galapagos Tortoise named Estrella.
Hugo swiped right, and the two tortoises took the first steps to start a long-distance relationship.
Estrella had to be quarantined before she and Hugo could meet IRL, so the tortoises had regular FaceTime dates to get to know each other.
Related Stories From YourTango:When they finally got together face to face, sparks flew, and the rest was turtle true love history.
Hugo and Estrella spend their days together like any other couple in love. They share snacks, go bite for a bite on delicious cactus leaves, and generally enjoy each other's company in their protected habitat.
Their once-in-a-lifetime turtle romance goes to show that none of us are ever truly alone.
Sometimes, all it takes to find the One is staying open to every possibility, letting our guards down, and leaving our comfort zones — all in the name of love.
Alexandra Blogier is a writer on YourTango's news and entertainment team. She covers social issues, pop culture, and all things to do with the entertainment industry.
New Life For Forest Tortoise
When rains bring rejuvenation to our scorched earth and fresh growths emerge to receive the water that is crucial to the flourishing of our tropical forests, this is our tropical spring season that lasts throughout the summer and autumn of other latitudes. This phase presents a welcome reprieve from the intense heat of our dry season.
We saw the leaves of our evergreen trees drooping in submission to the heat as other trees shed their leaves onto a dried-out and cracked earth. The crunch and crackle of the crisp carpet as animals tried to make their way as furtively as they could were not to be disguised by falling fruits or wind-blown leaf debris.
Today, with the successive passage of rain-bearing weather systems, the crisp leaves have softened and footsteps are now muffled.
One creature that succeeded in keeping its progress along the forest floor quiet is the yellow-footed tortoise (Chelonoidis denticulata). Seen throughout the dry season as they roamed the shady areas of our Guaya forests where most have made their home, they now welcome the change in their habitat wrought by the rains.
This species is not to be seen in significant numbers in any one area in the wild but is present nonetheless throughout their territory and can be found using traditional knowledge of their habits, handed down by native peoples and the pointers afforded by the forest that can be read by those taught to do so.
One yellow-foot withdrew completely into its shell as we approached; an instinctive response to predators who hunt it for its meat and shell. There is also a thriving trade that labels it as of religious importance.
The tortoise slowly peeked out after a while then withdrew as a camera flashed. However, it seemed that the urge to retreat into a less open area was so great that it emerged out of its shell and, as quickly as it could hasten its typically slow gait, made its way under the safety of some large leaves. Any further hint of its progress was not to be had because of the wet leaves covering the forest floor.
The recent rains had replenished small ponds that had dried out during the hot spell. In one of these, one little galap (turtle) found sanctuary. This too hastily sought refuge into the deeper part of the pond on our approach.
We could hear at least three bands of red howlers communicating in the upper reaches of the forest. However, on this occasion, they remained in the distance east and west of our route, and their sounds gradually faded as a shower of rain passed over.
Along the fringes of a cultivated garden where forest creatures often visit for food, another yellow foot foraged. Vegetables were a treat after all.
This second tortoise had not yet grown to full size, and one of our outfit lifted it and pointed to the eggs it was carrying. We then left it to continue the important business of feeding. There were now enough succulent green leaves in the forest for our soon-to-be mother tortoise to feed on, but a little variety was obviously welcome.
In these southern forests, the yellow-footed tortoise has thrived despite periods of overhunting. Loss of habitat has been minimal as the area is part of a zone protected by law encompassing the Trinity Hills Game Sanctuary and the Victoria Mayaro Forest Reserve.
This species is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Natur) Red List of Threatened Species.
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