New Mexico’s Carlsbad Caverns National Park warns visitors not to leave any trash behind, after discovering a full bag of Cheetos in the park, which they called a “world-changing” item for the cavern’s ecosystem.
According to the park’s management, dropping a bag of snacks may seem “trivial” from a human perspective, but it has “world-changing” consequences for cave life.
The park noted that the cave’s humidity softened the corn in the snacks, which attracted “microbial life and fungi.” The park explained that such food also attracts spiders, crickets, and mites, which spread it throughout the cave, causing a chain reaction as the dispersed food attracts more species in different parts of the cavern.
The national park added that a single bag drop forced rangers to spend 20 minutes cleaning the cave, removing mold and foreign substances to keep the area safe for local wildlife. Such mistakes, the park added, disrupt the ecosystem as foreign species, like mold, invade the park.
Additionally, the park stated that everyone has the opportunity to leave the world in a better condition than they found it. In a follow-up Facebook post, the park urged everyone to adopt the “leave no trace” principle and properly dispose of their waste.
The post also mentioned that rangers are always busy picking up foreign materials, including tissues, gum wrappers, spit, and chewing tobacco within the cavern. According to the park’s website, only “plain water” is allowed in the cavern.
Experts advise against bringing food into national parks, as their environment is carefully controlled. Introducing foreign organic matter, like food, can attract unwanted pests or bacteria that are not part of the park’s natural ecosystem. In the case of the Carlsbad Cavern, these invaders have the potential to harm the unique organisms of the cavern, including specialized microorganisms and cave-dwelling animals.
The Big Room at Carlsbad Caverns, where the Cheetos bag was found, is one of the most iconic attractions in the national park. It spans over 8.2 acres and is the largest chamber in North America by volume. The stunning array of stalactites, stalagmites, and other cave formations in the Big Room make it a popular tourist attraction.
The ceilings of the Big Room rise up to 255 feet in some areas, and the variety of formations and the sheer scale of the chamber evoke a sense of wonder among visitors.
National parks are always at the forefront of conservation efforts, as these places must be preserved for future generations. While the Carlsbad Caverns was established as the national park in 1930, its rocks are reportedly 265 million years old while the age of the cavern is somewhere between 4 and 6 million years.
