30/04/2019
- Two men detained and a third wanted over destruction of formation at scenic spot that took millions of years to take shape
The men took turns to batter off the stalactite with a rock. Photo: Weibo
Police in eastern China arrested two men and are looking for a third who allegedly broke off a 4 million-year-old stalactite in 30 seconds before taking it from the cave where it had been on display.
Surveillance camera footage taken in the Natural Underground Gallery in Yishui county, Shandong province, on April 21 showed three men taking turns to hit the stalactite with a rock to break it off, news site Iqilu.com reported on Tuesday.
“We call that part of the stalactite the Lovebird, and Geography of China, a programme on China Central Television, came last year specially to report on the Lovebird,” Yang Feng, an executive at the gallery, told Shandong Business Daily.
“[The men] took a large rock to break the stalactite and caused serious damage. Now the tail of the Lovebird is gone.”
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Yang said he could not put a monetary value on the stalactite because it took millions of years to form.
The vandals also damaged other parts of the gallery, surveillance footage showed.
The damage to the Lovebird was not discovered until the next day, when a tour guide reported that its tail was missing.
The stalactite took millions of years to form. Photo: Weibo
Yang said the damaged stalactite was less than 20cm long and 10cm wide. The gallery did not call the police until Saturday, after a geologist they consulted told them it would take millions of years for the missing section to grow back.
“We are outraged. The stalactite is precious for geological study but worth nothing to most people because the part that has been broken off will darken and become an ordinary stone,” Yang said.
In 2017, a man was caught on camera destroying a 50cm stalagmite in a cave in Songtao county, Guizhou province.
The man made three attempts to kick the stalagmite on the side of the main path in the cave and eventually knocked off a 30cm tip. He then walked away without taking it, the footage showed.
The scenic attraction’s administrators contacted police, who found the man and fined him 500 yuan (US$74).
Source: SCMP
Posted in 4 million-year-old stalactite, ‘Lovebird’ stalactite, China alert, China Central Television, Chinese cave, Geography of China, Lovebird, millions of years to take shape, Natural Underground Gallery, Shandong Business Daily, shandong province, Surveillance camera footage, tour guide, Uncategorized, US terracotta warrior vandalism case, vandals smash and grab treasured ‘Lovebird’ stalactite in Chin, Yang Feng, Yishui county |
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17/04/2019
- Wildlife park in southwest of country issues warning after tourist throws 10,000 yuan worth of banknotes into enclosure
The money was thrown into the giraffe enclosure on Tuesday. Photo: Toutiao
A wildlife park in southwestern China is looking for a visitor who tried to feed its giraffes almost US$1,500 worth of cash.
Staff at the Yunnan Wildlife Park discovered on Tuesday that someone had thrown 10,000 yuan in banknotes into the giraffe enclosure and then disappeared, the park said later that day.
“Some tourists love to feed animals food when visiting zoos, but have you seen people who feed them renminbi?” the park said in a notice issued on WeChat, China’s most popular social media platform.
The banknotes landed in the giraffe enclosure just before noon and staff had to distract the animals with food while they picked up the money, it said.
Nearly 10,000 yuan, mostly in 100 yuan notes, was retrieved. Staff then questioned visitors in the area but they all denied any knowledge of the incident, it said.
Surveillance camera footage showed that the money was thrown from a blind spot, it added.
“So far no one has come to claim ownership of the money. The police are also helping us look for the owner,” a worker from the tourists’ service centre told the South China Morning Post on Wednesday.
Staff had to remind visitors that strange objects could harm the animals. Photo: toutiao
“As we search for the owner, may we also kindly advise tourists not to drop litter or feed animals ‘strange things’?” the notice said.
“Taking different food provided by tourists can give the animals nutritional disorders, and as a result influence their growth and reproduction. And if they eat objects that are indigestible, such as plastic bags, they can die or suffer life-threatening injuries.”
The wildlife park said it was hoping to return the cash to its owner if he or she can be traced.
Source: SCMP
Posted in animals, China alert, Chinese zoo, enclosure, giraffe enclosure, giraffes, Kunming, provincial capital, social media platform, Surveillance camera footage, tourists, toutiao, Uncategorized, WeChat, Yunnan Wildlife Park |
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