{"id":27602,"date":"2023-10-21T08:57:28","date_gmt":"2023-10-21T15:57:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/?p=27602"},"modified":"2023-10-21T09:54:51","modified_gmt":"2023-10-21T16:54:51","slug":"love-locks-put-grand-canyon-wildlife-in-danger-rangers-warn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/news\/love-locks-put-grand-canyon-wildlife-in-danger-rangers-warn","title":{"rendered":"‘Love Locks’ Put Grand Canyon Wildlife in Danger, Rangers Warn"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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A California condor perched on a rock in the Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

You may think putting a lock on a fence is a great way to symbolize your love, but it can actually be harmful to the endangered California condor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPeople think putting a lock on fencing at viewpoints is a great way to show love for another person. It’s not,\u201d said National Park Service rangers on the Grand Canyon National Park Facebook page<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Visitors securing \u201clove locks\u201d on fences and leaving behind the keys are becoming a danger to these rare birds. These \u201clove locks\u201d are common in tourist areas around the world, like Paris, Venice and, of course, the Grand Canyon. But, birds can choke on the keys, which many people throw into the canyon after securing the locks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLeaving pad locks like this is littering and a form of graffiti. But because people will throw their padlock key into the canyon, the scenario becomes worse and more dangerous specifically for a rare and endangered animal of the canyon,\u201d the Grand Canyon National Park posted on its Facebook page. \u201cCondors are curious animals and much like a small child will investigate strange things they come across with their mouths. Condors love shiny things. They will spot a coin, a wrapper or a shiny piece of metal, like a key from a padlock that has been tossed into the canyon and eat it. Condors are not meant to digest metal and many times cannot pass these objects.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n