Motorists traveling through Montana near Yellowstone National Park encountered an almost perfectly placed roadside attraction this week: a bright green dinosaur standing on a rocky cliff above the Yellowstone River.
The dinosaur was not part of a new park exhibit. It normally stands outside Gardiner Sinclair & Yellowstone Dino Lube and Repair in Gardiner, Montana, about 10 miles from where drivers spotted it in Yankee Jim Canyon.
Someone had removed the 12-foot fiberglass mascot from its concrete base, transported it through the canyon, and bolted it to the rock overlooking U.S. Highway 89. Employees later recovered the dinosaur without significant damage, although the awkward rescue required keeping it from falling roughly 100 feet into the river below.
The incident gave travelers and employees something to laugh about, but Sinclair dinosaurs are valuable roadside landmarks. Similar dino-nappings have inspired community rescue missions and apology notes, while others have resulted in costly damage.
A Dinosaur Appears Above the Yellowstone River
According to Cowboy State Daily, the dinosaur affectionately known as “Dino” disappeared overnight before reappearing on the cliff. “They literally had to unbolt it from a cement pad out here, and they re-bolted it up on a cliff,” Sinclair employee Jacque Sims told KTVQ.
That’s some real dedication if I’ve ever seen it. I almost wonder if there was a reason behind the action itself.
According to the images, Dino is about five feet tall, 12 feet long, 300 pounds, and painted completely green. It does look pretty cute, so I can almost understand wanting to be able to see it from the roadway when you’re driving by.
Employees believe the people responsible deliberately selected the dinosaur farther from the building and outside the reach of the station’s cameras. Nobody has publicly taken credit, although workers suspect locals may have been involved because the statue was handled so carefully.
Derek Johnston, who helped retrieve Dino, estimated the statue’s value at approximately $8,000. Sinclair management told KTVQ it did not plan to file a police report, and Dino is being kept inside while employees consider a more secure mounting system.
Considering the fact that the statue was quite literally bolted to a cement pad, I would think that the only other thing they could possibly do is make a completely permanent home for him.
Commenters Want Dino To Stay on the Cliff
The unusual relocation drew an overwhelmingly amused response on Cowboy State Daily’s Facebook page. Many commenters acknowledged that taking the dinosaur was wrong while admitting they were impressed by the planning and effort required.
“I don’t support theft… but this is legendary,” one person wrote. Another said, “It’s never a good thing to steal anything… but they picked a great location.”
Others joked that Dino had simply returned to his “natural habitat” and urged Sinclair to leave him overlooking the river. One commenter called the cliff his “perfect place,” while another suggested the company turn the prank into a permanent roadside attraction.
The reaction helps explain why Sinclair dinosaurs are treated differently from ordinary gas station signs. The company began using dinosaurs in its advertising in 1930, and the green DINO mascot has since become closely associated with American road trips, family vacations, and roadside culture.
I can imagine that they are like hidden Mickeys for those who like to travel to Walt Disney World resorts and theme parks.
Some Dino-Nappings Bring Communities Together
On Halloween night in 2025, pranksters cut a security cable and carried a 270-pound Sinclair dinosaur from a Bozeman, Montana, station to the top of the city’s M Trail.
According to KBZK, the owners organized a volunteer rescue after photographs of the dinosaur overlooking the valley spread online. Several people carried it down using straps while hikers cheered, and Bridger Aerospace captured the recovery from the air.
Station owner Stacy Huntley declined to press charges because she believed the dinosaur’s adventure had brought the community together.
A Sinclair dinosaur named Claire also returned safely after being stolen from a station in Brentwood, California, in 2025. CBS Los Angeles reported that Claire reappeared wrapped in a blanket with an apology note asking the owner not to pursue charges. He agreed after the mascot came home unharmed.
Not Every Dinosaur Returns in One Piece
The risks became clear in Billings, Montana, in 2022. Thieves wrapped a tow rope around a Sinclair dinosaur’s neck and repeatedly pulled it with a pickup truck until its head separated from its body.
According to KTVQ, workers recovered the damaged body after receiving community tips, and local fiberglass specialists offered to repair it. Before the work could begin, someone returned and stole the detached head.
The station owner said the dinosaur had become a Billings landmark that regularly attracted travelers. Its destruction demonstrated how quickly a stunt can become costly vandalism, even when other dinosaur adventures have ended with laughter and publicity.
It’s incredible to see that this was not the case with our green Dino friend above the Yellowstone River.
Illinois Police Search for Another Alleged Dino-Napper
The Gardiner incident was not the only dinosaur theft making headlines this week. Police in Joliet, Illinois, are asking for help identifying a woman accused of taking a large green dinosaur from a home in the 300 block of Western Avenue on July 17.
Security footage released by the Joliet Police Department shows a woman approaching the decoration at night, picking it up, and carrying it toward a waiting vehicle. According to Joliet Patch, investigators believe she was driving a red Chevrolet SUV.
The video’s comment section quickly filled with jokes, but police say the woman has not been identified. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Joliet Police Department. She should be presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
For now, Gardiner’s Dino is safely back at the station. Whether these incidents become funny roadside legends or expensive cases of vandalism often depends on how they end.
Nearly a century after Sinclair introduced its famous green mascot, the dinosaurs are still doing what they were designed to do: getting travelers to stop and look—and occasionally inspiring someone to carry one off.
I almost wonder if the Yellowstone River Dino was moved for content purposes, and we’ll be seeing a video pop up online soon of whoever did the deed. It’s not entirely impossible, especially given how many views something like this could gather.