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A Cheetos Packet Thrown By Careless Tourist Wreaks Havoc At Ancient US Cave

How an carelessly discarded Cheetos packet almost created an imbalance in an ancient US cave's ecosystem.

by Sanjana Shenoy
A Cheetos Packet Thrown By Careless Tourist Wreaks Havoc At Ancient US Cave

It’s just a bag of Cheetos, what difference does it make? Yes, it does make a difference. It makes a huge difference to an ancient cave formed millions of years ago after sulfuric acid corroded the limestone into passages. It makes a huge difference to the organisms that call this cave their home; from the crickets to the 17 bat species. Read on to know how a bag of Cheetos thrown carelessly by a tourist wreaked havoc at Carlsbad Caverns, an ancient cave in the US.

Ancient US Cave Riddled With Moulds After Tourist Discards Cheetos Packet

On September 6, Carlsbad Caverns National Park posted about a concerning incident on its Facebook page. A tourist callously discarded an open bag of Cheetos in an ancient cave structure in New Mexico. While it was a minor inconvenience for the owner of the chips packet, to the ancient cave’s eco-system, it had a huge impact. The post informs that the processed corn softened due to the humidity of the cave.

As a result, it formed the perfect environment to host fungi and other microbial life. Spiders, flies, cave crickets and mice dispersed the strewn nutrients to the surrounding caves and formations. The cave witnessed mould formations on nearby surfaces. Alarmed, forest rangers spent 20 minutes painstakingly removing the mould and microbial growth along the path leading to the largest cave chamber in North America.

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Moment Of Carelessness Detrimental To The Ecosystem

A moment of carelessness has the impact of tarnishing a structure that has withstood aeons. Tourists’ reliance on convenience at the cost of the environment could damage the eco-system of the region. A negligent act like throwing a single-use packet of Cheetos in a cave led to mould formations. It had a huge impact on the cave’s ecosystem and its dwellers.

cheetos us cave
Picture Credits: Canva Pro (Picture used for representation)

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The post is supplemented with a picture of the orange single-use Cheetos packet and the mould formed around it due to half-eaten morsels. It ends with a genuine request to tourists to leave the world a better place than one finds it.

Have you noticed single-use packets littered in ancient caves, as well?

Cover Image Courtesy: Carlsbad Caverns National Park/ Facebook

 

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First Published: September 12, 2024 1:18 PM