United States returns stolen remains of 70 million year old Tyrannosaurus skeleton Mongolia

Collecting rare artifacts and other historical objects is one of the major hobbies of the rich around the world. But sometimes a costly auction may land a collector into trouble. And this is exactly what happened to a collector who landed up in jail for 17 years and also the remains of very unique and rare skeleton returned to country to which it belonged.

Tyrannosaurus [Photo: My Jurassic Park]

In what is being termed as a rare cultural return, the United States has returned the fossilized remains of a 70 million year old Tyrannosaurus skeleton stolen from the Gobi desert in Mongolia.

The remains which were sold at auction in New York last year for more than a million dollars, the near complete skeleton of the Tyrannosaurus Bataar - a cousin of the better-known T-Rex - is being repatriated at Mongolia's request.

Skeleton of Tyrannosaurus [Photo: Wikimedia Commons]

In the meantime, collector Eric Prokopi pleaded guilty last December to smuggling the remains and faces up to 17 years in jail.

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