USA – According to CNN, authorities are looking for two tourists who vandalized a 140-million-year-old rock formation inside the Lake Mead National Recreation Area in Nevada.
In a video recorded and posted to social networks on April 7, two male tourists wearing T-shirts climbed the towering reddish-brown rocks along the park’s Redstone Dune trail. is pushing quite large sandstone slabs downward.
A female tourist who witnessed the above scene had to scream as the rocks fell and crumbled into dust.
“This is not just rock. They are ancient resources. They were formed millions of years ago,” said Neal Desai, senior program director for the Pacific region for the National Parks Conservation Association.
Park officials said the damage is irreparable.
“Why would you do this to such a beautiful area? It’s one of my favorite spots in the park and they’re destroying it up there. I don’t understand why the two tourists above are like that,” John Haynes told CNN.
On social networks, Lake Mead officials shared incriminating images of the perpetrators destroying the rocks and asked for information about the two tourists. The National Park Service described it as “an act of cultural violence” and it was illegal.
Law enforcement rangers are investigating the incident, an NPS spokesman said. Penalties depend on the type of damage and severity.
Local media reported that the vandals could face up to 6 months in prison and a fine of $5,000.
Lake Mead National Recreation Area is a large natural space close to Las Vegas that attracts more than 6 million tourists each year. Lake Mead and its natural surroundings offer outdoor enthusiasts the opportunity to canoe, kayak, hike, bike, swim, fish or just Find a relaxing place to watch the impressive night sky.