Locals stunned after baffling incident involving famous dinosaur fossil: 'This is out of control'

A disturbed local shared a troubling news story on the vandalism of a popular attraction at a historic site.

A disturbed local shared a troubling news story on the vandalism of a fossil at Gettysburg's National Military Park. — Photo Credit: Reddit

The screenshot, shared to r/Gettysburg, is of a recent press release from the National Park Service. According to the release, staff at the park noticed a large capstone containing a fossil from the so-called "Dinosaur Bridge" had been removed. It was discovered underneath the bridge, leading officials to conclude someone had deliberately used another tool to pry it free. The fossil of an Anchisauripus was safely retrieved and taken into park custody as authorities investigate the incident.

Unfortunately, the brazen act is far from an isolated incident. Anti-social behavior is all too common in national parks. In some cases, visitors get dangerously close to wildlife or ignore safety notices. In others, wanton acts of vandalism waste the time and resources of park staff while damaging scenes of historic value. Leaving trash behind is another scourge that ruins scenery for others and harms wildlife.

Such incidents are particularly unfortunate as national parks are a wonderful spot for an eco-friendly vacation. Connecting with nature confers physical and mental health benefits, and it's everyone's collective responsibility to leave no trace of their visit behind.

The comments shared the original poster's disgust at the needless destruction of public property.

"People can be the worst," one lamented.

Another said, "This is out of control!"

One reply despaired at the vandal's mindset: "Why are people feeling so entitled to personally enrich themselves from our nation and public treasures?"

Another comment poked fun at the apparent lack of forward planning in the crime, saying, "At least the genius figured out it was too heavy to carry away, or too bulky to unobtrusively stuff under their shirt?"

A response pondered a potential solution to the issue: "I honestly wouldn't be opposed to some sort of camera system being installed at this point. Awful behavior."