Улаанбаатар
Illegally Exported Dinosaur Fossils Returned to Mongolia
Society
Ulaanbaatar, February 19, 2024 /MONTSAME/. Sixteen dinosaur fossils, representing six distinct types and considered significant Mongolian cultural heritage, were repatriated to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, on February 16, 2024. The handover to the relevant organizations occurred under the guidelines of the Cultural Heritage Protection Act. Notably, the collection includes a fossil of the "Alioramus" dinosaur, a member of the Tyrannosauridae family found exclusively within Mongolian territory.
The successful repatriation is the result of collaborative efforts undertaken by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia, the Mongolian Embassy to the U.S., the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection authorities. The two countries signed the Agreement on the Non-Dispute Transfer of Property on May 23, 2023. During the Official Visit of Prime Minister of Mongolia Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai to the United States, a Ceremony of Returning the Dinosaur Fossils was held in Washington, D.C.. in which Foreign Minister Foreign of Mongolia Battsetseg Batmunkh attended, representing the Government of Mongolia.
Through the cooperation between the Governments of Mongolia and the United States, illegally exported dinosaur fossils were brought back to Mongolia in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, and 2019, respectively.
