Authorities seek help finding those responsible for damaging a petroglyph panel in Utah

By The Associated Press

JENSEN, Utah (AP) — Authorities in Utah are asking the public to help it determine who damaged a petroglyph panel with illegally installed climbing bolts.

The bolts were found east of Jensen in Uintah County on what’s called the Pregnant Sheep panel, KSL-TV reported.

A Bureau of Land Management photo posted on Facebook shows them embedded in rock below a petroglyph of a human figure and an animal.

The damage was first reported to the agency Nov. 10, and the the bureau and the Uintah County Sheriff’s Office asked for the public’s help after officers exhausted leads. Anyone with information is asked to call bureau law enforcement.

It’s not clear how old the petroglyph is, but Utah has many prehistoric rock carvings that are protected by state and federal laws including the Archeological Resource Protection Act.

The Pregnant Sheep panel is located in northeastern Utah near the Musket Shot Springs Overlook.

In 2021, climbing bolts were found on ancient rock art near Moab, in eastern Utah. They were removed, but archaeologists say the petroglyph was forever damaged.

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