USA TODAY 04 Enough with the 'love locks': Grand Canyon warns lovers against leaving those at the park

 Enough with the 'love locks': Grand Canyon warns lovers against leaving those at the park

Jose R. Gonzalez

Arizona Republic

Grand Canyon National Park is urging visitors to stop using the landmark to partake in a trend where lovers at a viewpoint leave behind a padlock to represent their relationship.

Padlocks left at fencings are known as "love locks," but the practice of throwing the key away at the Grand Canyon poses a threat to the rare and endangered condor, the park warned on its Facebook page. "Love is strong, but it is not as strong as our bolt cutters," reads the post. "People think putting a lock on fencing at viewpoints is a great way to show love for another person. It's not. Leaving padlocks like this is littering and a form of graffiti."

The keys left behind are being consumed by curious condors who, the post states, "love shiny things." These scavenger birds, the post continues, will eat coins, wrappers or shiny metallic pieces that cannot be digested or that they will not be able to pass.

An X-ray of a condor with coins lodged in its digestive tract. On Oct. 10, 2023, this photo was one of three posted to the Grand Canyon National Park's Facebook page warning people not to attach padlocks to fencing, referred to as "love locks." The park's post explained the practice is considered littering and a form of graffiti and condors could be harmed if they swallow shiny objects like a key from a padlock, coin or shiny piece of metal.

The post included a photo of an X-ray of a condor with coins lodged in its digestive tract. An operation on the fowl cleared the obstruction, the post explained.

"If a condor ingests too many objects like this, it could die," the post warned, adding, "Objects are thrown from the rim every day. Padlocks and trash are not anomalies limited to Grand Canyon. Do your part to not contribute to these bad habits and inform others of what can happen to the wildlife if these behaviors continue."

In October 2022, the park served three federal violation notices to a woman on suspicion of littering and creating hazardous conditions with disorderly conduct after she posted video of herself hitting a golf ball and losing most of her golf club at the Grand Canyon. The fine for disorderly conduct and tossing or throwing items into the canyon carried a maximum fine of $5,000 and six months in prison, The Arizona Republic learned.

A lock is shown attached to fencing at Grand Canyon National Park. On Oct. 10, 2023, this photo was one of three posted to the Grand Canyon National Park's Facebook page warning people not to attach padlocks to fencing, referred to as "love locks." The practice is considered littering and a form of graffiti and condors could be harmed if they swallow shiny objects like a key from a padlock, coin or shiny piece of metal.