Montana’s Sinclair Dinosaurs Keep Going Missing

I do not know when the trend started. But it appears to be an unofficial tradition in Montana.

Stealing giant green Sinclair dinosaurs is becoming a thing.

In Gardiner, a local dinosaur statue went missing from a Sinclair station parking lot. Police believe it was taken by a group of people who were attempting to pull off a prank. Soon after it was stolen, the dinosaur was located approximately 10 miles away (above Yankee Jim Canyon), which is just north of Yellowstone National Park. According to KPAX, the dinosaur sustained minor damage. It will be returned to its original location.

Mario Tama, Getty Images

Although stealing dinosaurs seems unusual, this is not the first time that a dinosaur has gone missing in Montana. This past fall, a dinosaur went missing from a Sinclair station in Bozeman. That one turned up near the "M" on the mountain. In addition, Billings has experienced numerous instances of dinosaurs being stolen.

Many of us consider the green dinosaurs to be a part of our youth. We always point them out while traveling down highways. As parents, we often show them to our children. These dinosaurs become another of those roadside attractions that become ingrained into the culture.

Mario Tama, Getty Images

This could be the reason why many people continue to target these dinosaurs.

These dinosaurs are recognizable, humorous, and can easily be transported so that a person can take them somewhere else to create some type of fun story or prank.

I'll admit, finding one perched above Yankee Jim Canyon is a pretty funny visual. If you're going to borrow a dinosaur, I guess at least it had a decent view.

Mario Tama, Getty Images

Maybe it is time to give them a break. You can take pictures of them. You can create memes featuring them. You can even give them goofy names. Please just leave the dinosaurs alone..

If the trend continues, we will need to begin issuing state-wide Dinosaur Alerts whenever one disappears.