Authorities in the Las Vegas area removed a mysterious monolith out of concerns about the damage tourists could do to the natural landscape.

The 77-inch-tall structure, constructed out of sheet metal and secured with rebar and concrete, was spotted lastmonth about 20 miles north of Las Vegas in the Gass Peak region.

The unusual object `is being stored at an un disclosed location while public authorities determine the most appropriate way to dispose of or store the item,` the department said. It remains unknown how the item got to its location or who might be responsible.

However, an anonymous art collective called The Most Famous Artist later took credit for several of the US-based monoliths.