Bones of Contention - Tracking The Dinosaur Black Market
For decades, Gobi Desert in Mongolia has been a hotbed for dinosaur fossil smuggling. Now, people are pushing back, determined to reclaim their stolen heritage and exposing the trade’s darker players.
Bones of Contention - Tracking The Dinosaur Black Market
For decades, Gobi Desert in Mongolia has been a hotbed for dinosaur fossil smuggling. Now, people are pushing back, determined to reclaim their stolen heritage and exposing the trade’s darker players.
Bones of Contention
In July 2024, a Stegosaurus fossil shattered records when it was sold for a jaw-dropping US$40 million – the highest price ever paid for a fossil. The market for dinosaur fossils is soaring thanks to a new generation of collectors from Asia. But with these fossils holding valuable clues about our planet’s past, scientists are strongly opposed to the lucrative trade.
Filmed across Singapore, the Philippines, Mongolia, the United States and Europe, this gripping two-part series goes deep inside the shadowy world of dinosaur fossils. With rare access to collectors, fossils hunters, dealers, investigators and academics, it uncovers how demand is fuelling smuggling networks from countries like Mongolia, and why scientific community is sounding the alarm. This is not just about million-dollar fossils. It’s about power, prestige and the battle for the story of our planet.
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