Ralph E. Powers wrote:How many other (show) caves have rare and fragile formations within an arm's or hand's reach? Should a motion activated camera be placed on these formations so that a culprit will be caught "red-handed"?
No. That would be cost prohibitive. The trail was not placed so close to the butterfly that a casual visitor could reach up and break it. A diversion was needed. Instead of expensive electronics, you can protect a cave better by having a sweep cave guide (guides aren't that expensive) whose job it is not to give the tour, but to watch the visitors, especially large groups.
Eyes on something protects it much better...and the person connected to the eyes can give firsthand testimony in court.
Motion-detected lights might give less opportunity for breakage, but Sonora is as well lit as a rathskeller basement....this operation still smells fishy to me.
Posted: Jun 23, 2007 8:47 am