Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Pinal Airpark
Note the chrysanthemum crests.
Hachiman Bridge
Clarendon War Memorial.
Clarendon War Memorial
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Chefs Aruss Lerlerstkull and Atcharaporn Kiatthanawat lean into regional traditions.
Charmgang
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
At Nai Mong Hoi Thod, the oyster omelet is worth waiting for.
Nai Mong Hoi Thod
In this deceptively simple dish, top-quality ingredients are paramount.
Kor Panich
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Haleakalā National Park’s summit region, shrouded in the pre-dawn fog.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
about 20 hours ago
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
1 day ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
3 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
4 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Canada British Columbia Comox-Strathcona K 'Hornby Uintotherium'
AO Edited

'Hornby Uintotherium'

A plaque on Canada's Hornby Island commemorates a fantastical creature from a fictional universe.

Comox-Strathcona K, British Columbia

Added By
Jo
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Kymaerica Plaque on Hornby Island.   kcymaerxthaere.com
Add Photos
Kymaerica Plaque on Hornby Island.   kcymaerxthaere.com
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The plaque on Canada's Hornby Island concerns a remarkable creature known as the Hornby Uintotherium. You won't find this creature in any biology textbook though, or even local folklore. That's because it only exists in the imagined world of Kcymaerxthaere.

An art project created by Eames Demetrios, Kcymaerxthaere is made up of a series of plaques and other markers around the world. Each of these markers honors a story or event from a parallel universe that, according to Demetrios, "co-exists to some degree with ours.” Most of these installations are bronze or stone plaques inscribed with stories but some are larger, even entire buildings. As of 2021, there are more than 140 sites spread across six continents and 30 countries.

Within this imagined world, the Hornby Uintotherium is one of the smallest of the Uintotheria. They are usually quite docile, although occasionally a stubborn one can do some damage. Uintotheria look somewhat like rhinoceroses, according to lore, but they have strange knobs and protrusions on their heads. Some people say they are shy because of how they look. 

Don't miss the Denman Island Ferry searching for the Uintotheria—they are definitely quite elusive.  The marker should be easier to find.

Related Tags

Plaques Islands Cultures And Civilizations Extinct Animals Kcymaerxthaere

Know Before You Go

Take BC ferry from Horseshoe Bay in Vancouver to Nanaimo, drive up Vancouver Island to Buckley Bay (45 minutes). From there, take the ferry to Denman Island. Drive across Denman Island and take the ferry to Hornby Island. The plaque is installed at the Thatch Pub, right where the ferry from Denman island lands.

Community Contributors

Added By

canuck

Edited By

geographeratlarge

  • geographeratlarge

Published

August 11, 2014

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.kcymaerxthaere.com/index.php/content/markers/hornby_uintotherium1
'Hornby Uintotherium'
Comox-Strathcona K, British Columbia, V0R 1Z0
Canada
49.512303, -124.705296
Visit Website

Nearby Places

Hornby Island Bald Eagle Nest Camera

Comox-Strathcona K, British Columbia

miles away

Free Spirit Spheres

Qualicum Beach, British Columbia

miles away

Royston Shipwrecks

Courtenay, British Columbia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Comox-Strathcona K

Comox-Strathcona K

British Columbia

Places 2

Nearby Places

Hornby Island Bald Eagle Nest Camera

Comox-Strathcona K, British Columbia

miles away

Free Spirit Spheres

Qualicum Beach, British Columbia

miles away

Royston Shipwrecks

Courtenay, British Columbia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Comox-Strathcona K

Comox-Strathcona K

British Columbia

Places 2

Related Places

  • Splashing stones in the distance

    Grand Rapids, Michigan

    'Handfuls of Small Stones'

    In Grand Rapids, Michigan, a marker honors the creation story of a proud fictional culture.

  • The Krblin Jihn Kabin.

    Joshua Tree, California

    'Krblin Jihn Kabin'

    While exploring the desert, you can stop by the home of a fictional heretic from a parallel universe.

  • Right after the Installation

    Pedraza, Spain

    'Los Prados Gnacien' ('Gnacien Paddock')

    A site outside Pedraza, Spain where a plaque tells a tale of seven-legged creatures that were said to have once lived in the area—in the fictional world of Kcymaerxthaere.

  • The Morse monument hidden in plain sight.

    Fujisawa, Japan

    Morse Seaside Laboratory Site

    The oft-overlooked site of one of the first marine biological research facilities in the world.

  • A bronze plaque embedded into a rock alongside other rocks with the sea behind it

    Coral Gables, Florida

    Tenerife Reflecting Point

    A plaque honors Miami's sister city in the Canary Islands, inviting one to reflect on their place in the world.

  • Model showing the layout of the streets of Mexicaltitán.

    Mexcaltitán de Uribe, Mexico

    Mexicaltitán de Uribe

    Legend says this tiny ancient island is the lost ancestral homeland of the Aztecs.

  • Comunidad Challapampa, Bolivia

    Chincana Ruins

    Mysterious Incan ruins on a tiny island in Lake Titicaca.

  • The Heath Hen Sculpture

    West Tisbury, Massachusetts

    Heath Hen Sculpture

    A memorial sculpture to heath hens stands on the spot where the last heath hen, Booming Ben, was last seen.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.