Love locks, which are symbolic padlocks placed by couples on fences and barriers at picturesque locations to represent the permanence of their relationships, have been identified as a threat to wildlife in a recent social media post shared by the Grand Canyon National Park.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday, park staff stated, “Love is strong, but our bolt cutters are stronger.” They emphasized that while some people believe attaching locks to fences at scenic viewpoints is a romantic gesture, it is, in fact, a form of littering and graffiti.
Typically, after attaching a love lock, couples throw the key into the gorge or river beyond the fence as part of this ritual. However, the park staff at the Grand Canyon highlighted the potential dangers of this practice.
While the park staff considers the locks to be a form of littering and graffiti in the park, it is the discarded keys that pose more significant problems.
The critically endangered California condors are attracted to shiny objects, and some of the keys thrown into the water were ingested by these birds, necessitating surgical removal.
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