While love is strong, it is not as strong as shears, park rangers warn.
Over the years, visitors to Grand Canyon National Park have been observed throwing various objects over the edge, including coins and padlock keys left as “love locks” on the fence.
Park officials say such actions can pose a serious threat to the park’s wildlife ecosystem.
“People think that putting locks on gazebo fences is a great way to show love for another person. It is not,” the park rangers said in a social media post. “Leaving locks like this is littering and a form of graffiti.”
The situation gets worse for the park’s rare and endangered animals, such as condors.
“Condors are curious animals and, like a small child, they will investigate strange things they find with their mouths,” they added.
The largest flying land birds in the Western Hemisphere also have an affinity for shiny objects, such as coins, metal keys, and wrappers, which they might ingest if found in the canyon.
“Condors are not made to digest metal and many times they cannot pass these objects,” the park rangers said.
An x-ray image below shows a condor’s throat with coins lodged in the bird’s digestive tract.
Over the years, visitors to Grand Canyon National Park have been observed throwing various objects over the edge, including coins and padlock keys that were left as “love locks” on the fence. Grand Canyon National Park/ Facebook
An x-ray image below shows a condor’s throat with coins lodged in the bird’s digestive tract. Grand Canyon National Park/Facebook
“This bird had to undergo surgery to remove obstructions,” the rangers added. “If a condor ingests too many objects like this, he could die.”
Officials urge visitors to take responsibility for their actions and educate others about the consequences of their behavior to preserve the beauty and integrity of the park.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn