A visitor to the Lake Mead National Recreation Area that spans Nevada and Arizona captured some infuriating footage of other tourists damaging the landscape.
Uploaded to the TouronsOfYellowstone (@touronsofyellowstone) Instagram account, the video shows two men trying to break up a rock formation by pushing some large sandstone boulders down a sheer drop.
Why anyone would think this is a good idea is highly questionable, with the individuals undoubtedly putting themselves in harm's way. Toward the end of the video, one man is perched precariously on the rock face as the boulder breaks and tumbles, and they are almost caught up with it.
What makes matters worse is a young girl sounds absolutely terrified in the background, no doubt concerned that the pair could hurt themselves or suffer an even more awful fate.
Instagrammers were confused and infuriated by the troubling footage, with TouronsOfYellowstone observing that the duo was "destroying what nature created over thousands of years."
"They need to be charged huge fines, jail time and to be banned from all national parks!" one person commented.
"Great metaphor for how humans are treating the planet," added another.
As the post's caption noted, some people might not be so comfortable confronting people who take irresponsible actions like this. Documenting the incident and passing the footage on to the authorities, though, is one way to ensure that the people doing the damage receive appropriate punishment. The video was indeed passed on to the National Park Service.
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Getting to experience natural wonders like the Lake Mead National Recreation Area should be a privilege, and thoughtless destruction like this is one way to ensure that others aren't able to witness it. If the park continues to see further examples of natural vandalism, it's likely it will restrict the access future visitors are allowed to enjoy.
Whether it's breaking up rock formations or bothering local wildlife, time in nature should increase our respect for the natural world rather than diminish it.
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