The vandals who painted a national park's iconic trees to look like male genitalia surely aren't laughing anymore after authorities revealed they could face a hefty fine or jail time.
As detailed by the Gold Coast Bulletin, visitors at Burleigh Head National Park in Australia attended an unexpected art show after the vandals defaced dozens of pandanus roots along one of the park's busiest trails. While some hikers were amused, officials certainly were not.
A spokesperson for Australia's Department of Environment, Science and Innovation said that the offenders could receive up to a $500,000 fine or spend time behind bars after violating the Nature Conservation Act of 1992.
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Definitely 👍 "There's nothing funny about vandalising protected areas. It diminishes the experience for other park-goers, disturbs our protected species, damages key habitats and disrespects cultural values," the spokesperson said in a statement to the Gold Coast Bulletin.
Sadly, incidents like the one at Burleigh aren't rare. At Montezuma Castle National Monument, park rangers had to step in to prevent visitors from carving their names into sycamore trees, weakening them and leaving them vulnerable to disease.
Considering that mature trees absorb more than 48 pounds of carbon apiece, per the Arbor Day Foundation, protecting them is an integral part of keeping temperatures in check and limiting the worst effects of a warming climate, like more intense and frequent extreme weather.
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And while the pandanus at Burleigh fortunately seemed no worse for the wear, disregarding regulations can be deadly in certain situations. In Yellowstone, for example, dozens of people have died after venturing off marked paths and falling into hot springs. Meanwhile, a deer in Thailand's Khun Sathan National Park died after chowing down on plastic litter.
Several Gold Coast Bulletin readers agreed with the spokesperson's assessment and encouraged others to consider the impact of their actions.
"Go ahead and make art if you want but don't use the trees in this protected national park," one person told the publication.
"Defacing the natural beauty of this precious patch of rainforest must stop," another agreed.
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