‘Callous’ vandals in Australia smash 115 million-year-old dinosaur footprint
The footprint of the medium-sized theropod was found by palaeontologists in 2006 at Flat Rocks in Victoria state – one of only a handful of polar, or ice-age, dinosaur sites in the world
Vandals have taken a hammer to a 115 million-year-old dinosaur footprint at a world renowned site in Australia, with officials Wednesday slamming the “sad and callous” act.
The footprint of the medium-sized theropod was found by palaeontologists in 2006 at Flat Rocks in Victoria state – one of only a handful of polar, or ice-age, dinosaur sites in the world.
Last week officials discovered it had been deliberately damaged as they took a school group to see it.
“It is sad to think a person or persons who knew the location of the footprint would deliberately damage an important local icon that is recognised as being of international scientific significance,” said Parks Victoria ranger Brian Martin.
Soon after its 2006 discovery palaeontologists made a silicon rubber mould of the find.
But rather than remove and store it at a museum, they decided to leave it in the rock, so visitors could have the thrill of seeing it in its natural state.
