The 75 million year old Tyrannosaurus Bataar fossil, the subject of long legal debate, was returned to Mongolia by the US government in New York on May 6th.

The Tyrannosaurus Bataar skeleton from the Mongolian Gobi desert was smuggled to the US through Great Britain in pieces and auctioned in New York Heritage auction for one million US dollars. But after a long and high-profile prosecution between a Florida paleontologist and the Mongolian Government, the repatriation ceremony of Tyrannosaurus Bataar was held in New York on Monday May 6th.

At the repatriation ceremony, Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, the head of the U.S. Immigration and Customers Enforcement (ICE), J.Morton and the head of the Office of President and P.Tsagaan made speeches.

The fossil is being returned to its homeland a year after the first reports sparked debate about an almost complete Tyrannosaurus skeleton from Mongolia being auctioned in New York in May 2012.

Somehow the smuggled Bataar is to finally head to its homeland. But this time Tyrannosaurus Bataar will come back with some other relatives that were smuggled to US as well. There are reports that there are six dinosaurs of three different species, but some say there are more than 10 dinosaurs in pieces that will return back to Mongolia.

In April, the President of Mongolia Ts.Elbegdorj announced in honour of Mongolia’s history to mark May 18th as the day of the Mongol Bataar. He stated to mark this day in order to protect cultural heritage. Therefore there is speculation that Bataar and his relatives might be displayed to public this day, May 18th.

The Florida born man, Eric Prokopi, pleaded guilty in December to conspiracy, the fraudulent transfer of the fossil and making false statements to customs authorities. He admitted that he smuggled two skeletons of two more Tyrannosaurus, two Saurolophus and two Oviraptor from the Mongolian Gobi Desert.

The Minister of Culture, Sport and Tourism, Ts.Oyungerel said during the repatriation ceremony of Tyrannosaurus bataar that: “We are to build a dinosaur museum in Mongolia. There is no dinosaur museum in Mongolia so far. Tyrannosaurus Bataar will be the first resident of the museum. This fossil is the first heritage which was sold abroad and then returned home after a long journey.”

Bataar is expected to be shipped via Korean Air to Mongolia soon.