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Explore the darker side of human nature as we count down the most stunning natural wonders ruined by careless human actions. From polluted oceans to defaced landmarks, we'll examine the shocking ways humans have harmed the environment. Get ready to be amazed and appalled by the destructive power of human recklessness.
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00:00This six-second video clip proof that the popular rock formation called the duckbill,
00:04pictured in hundreds of posts, did not topple naturally.
00:07Welcome to Miss Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most breathtaking natural wonders
00:12that have been destroyed due to human interference.
00:15Artwork described as urban has been spray-painted on a section of the cliff edge.
00:21Number 30, Hetch Hetchy, United States.
00:25Even the most beautiful locations aren't safe from being sacrificed.
00:28In its prime, Hetch Hetchy was one of the most gorgeous valleys in the western United States.
00:32The Hetch Hetchy Valley is almost ethereal, with trees and an ambling river walled in by towering mountains of stone.
00:41But it hasn't looked like this since 1915.
00:45Consisting of meadows, forests, and bodies of water, it was an ecologically diverse area that stunned for generations.
00:51However, after a devastating earthquake and subsequent fire in 1906,
00:55officials decided to use the valley as a water source for San Francisco.
00:59The 1913 Raker Act enabled the area to be flooded and dammed,
01:03permanently altering the landscape.
01:05The decision was controversial, leading to debates that continue to resonate today.
01:09It's absolutely a hard lift politically, but I think it's inevitable that we're going to take that dam down.
01:17Not in my lifetime, is my guess.
01:19Even though it can still be hiked and enjoyed, Hetch Hetchy's beauty is only a fraction of what it once was.
01:24Number 29, Sycamore Gap Tree, England.
01:27Some actions are so mindless that it's impossible to tell why they were done in the first place.
01:32Once serving as a symbol of northeast England, the Sycamore Gap Tree stood proudly for over a century.
01:37Let's take a look at some of these striking images throughout the seasons.
01:41It's really easy to see why this is one of the UK's most photographed trees and also why it picked up the award for 2016 Tree of the Year.
01:51That wasn't enough to protect it from its eventual fate.
01:53In 2023, locals awoke to see that the tree had been chopped down.
01:57It was later found to be deliberate, leading many to wonder the reason for such a needless act.
02:01It's quite upsetting that, you know, a lot of people have probably got a lot of joy from it and pictures and taking pictures of it.
02:09It's such a shame that somebody's came and vandalised a beautiful part of the countryside.
02:16Two men from Cumbria have been charged with criminal damage.
02:19Whether they're found guilty or not, though, it would erase the destruction of a national icon.
02:23Number 28, Joshua Tree National Park, United States.
02:27During the 2018 shutdown of the United States federal government, countless entities were impacted.
02:32Unlike most, Joshua Tree National Park made the bold choice to remain open with a smaller staff.
02:38Well, it seems like Joshua Tree National Park won't be closing because of the partial government shutdown.
02:44The Desert Preserve says it freed up enough money from recreational fees to stop the closure of the outdoor areas.
02:50While their intentions were to continue to provide people with a beautiful open space, the decision came back to bite them.
02:55With only eight rangers trying to supervise an enormous park, visitors had essentially free reign to do as they wished, which for some was to cause mass destruction.
03:03There were various acts of vandalism, from trees being chopped down to fires being set.
03:08The national park will be staffed, but it may not look the same as it did before the government shutdown.
03:13Tons of trash piled up and officials warned that some irreparable damage was done to the area.
03:19The damage was so intense that a former park superintendent predicted it would take centuries to repair, all thanks to one five-week period.
03:27Number 27. Colorado National Monument, United States.
03:31Ah, young love. Promposals are nothing new.
03:34For decades, teenagers have gone to extreme lengths to ask one another to the yearly dance, with some invitations even going viral.
03:40A promposal gone wrong has the internet in outrage mode.
03:45In 2018, one student proved that they can go too far after spray-painting love messages and an invitation on Colorado National Monument.
03:52The park, made up of gorgeous canyons and intricate rock formations, would have been a perfect location to ask someone to prom in person.
03:59However, the suspect caused damage that required extensive cleaning.
04:02Pictures from the monument in Fruta show three different places that have been spray-painted.
04:08The messages say, I promise to love you, and you're perfect to me, and one of them seems to be a proposal.
04:14Although officials have searched hard to this day, the perpetrator remains uncaught.
04:18And unfortunately, it appears as though that may always be the case.
04:22Number 26. Hangzhou's Pink Grass.
04:25China.
04:25This is why we can't have nice things.
04:28In fall, Mullenbergia capillaris, also known as the Heron merli, grows a layer of vibrant pink flowers, causing it to stand out.
04:36The plant's seeds had been transported from Australia to a riverside park in the city of Hangzhou, China in 2016.
04:43But just two years later, tourists flocked to the park, using it as the ultimate aesthetic background for their selfies.
04:50The amount of spectators visiting caused whole patches to be trampled, forcing the pink grass to be removed days after it arrived.
04:57This brought an end to what had once been an interesting way of increasing traffic in the area.
05:01Number 25. Zhanggeidangshia.
05:04China.
05:04Even the most unfathomable of natural phenomena isn't safe from human meddling.
05:08With its vibrant colors and millions of years' worth of sandstone and other minerals, Zhanggeidangshia is one of the most unique landforms on Earth.
05:17Some areas are completely closed off to visitors.
05:19But unfortunately, that didn't stop a small group of tourists from inviting themselves in.
05:24They filmed themselves walking across the ancient scape, bragging about how they snuck in, and were wrecking the 6,000-year-old area.
05:32They were rightfully dragged online afterwards, but the damage had already been done.
05:35Although it seemed minor, a staff member revealed that it would take decades for it to heal, proving that even the smallest actions can have vast consequences.
05:43Number 24. Utah's Dinosaur Tracks.
05:46United States.
05:47Something as simple as a fossil can be a powerful reminder of the vast life that came before us.
05:52There are multiple sites in Utah where people can observe the footprints of dinosaurs that walked there eons ago.
05:58Look at that.
06:00Wow.
06:01Wow.
06:01What a giant.
06:03While most would be humbled by such a site, others prove to not be so impressed.
06:07Throughout 2018, several tracks at Red Fleet State Park were dislodged and thrown into a lake.
06:13While some pieces were recovered, others were assumed to be gone for good.
06:16This isn't the only notable dinosaur track location in Utah to be affected by human behavior.
06:21In 2022, a 112-million-year-old site was harmed after being driven over by construction vehicles.
06:29Some tire track damage occurred to dinosaur footprints at the Mill Canyon Dinosaur Track site.
06:36They say work has been stopped until no final report on the damage is released.
06:41Number 23.
06:42The Senator Cypress Tree.
06:44United States.
06:45You'd think an organism that stood for well over 3,000 years would be indestructible.
06:50But sometimes, all it takes is one careless act.
06:53The Senator had been the oldest bald cypress tree, not just in Florida, but the entire world.
06:59It seemed like the Senator would always be here to watch over us.
07:02Then, January 16, 2012, the unimaginable happened.
07:08Reaching a staggering 125 feet, it was a proud reminder of nature's resilience.
07:13On one fateful night in 2012, all of that was wiped out when a woman ignited a garbage fire near the base.
07:20It quickly grew out of control, burning the tree from the inside out.
07:23Since the horrible incident, the Senator has been memorialized via art and renovations to the area, and it is still mourned to this day.
07:30And this was a terrible consequence.
07:32This is a consequence that we cannot bring back.
07:35We cannot fix.
07:36Number 22.
07:37Lake Mead's Ancient Rock Formation.
07:39United States.
07:40In recent decades, there's been more of an effort to encourage people to respect the Earth and their local natural areas.
07:46While some have taken that to heart, others still choose the path of mindless destruction.
07:50It takes millions of years for these rock formations to form, and then you get a few idiots out there that are destroying all that work of nature.
08:00It's pretty appalling.
08:01It's kind of disgusting.
08:02In the spring of 2024, two men were filmed pushing over rocks at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area.
08:08The formation had reportedly been formed from dunes that had existed there over a hundred million years ago, only to be ruined within a span of minutes.
08:17The suspects were found and indicted, and could face up to ten years behind bars if convicted.
08:22It could range from six months in jail and a $5,000 fine, all the way up to a felony offence.
08:28Number 21.
08:29Brimham Rocks, England.
08:31This was the ultimate act of teenage rebellion gone horribly wrong.
08:35The Brimham Rocks site is one of the most awe-inspiring in all of England, with its foundations dating back over 300 million years.
08:42The constant erosion caused some extremely unique formations to take shape, with many seemingly defying gravity.
08:48Several are still standing today, but one in particular met a brutal, unnatural end.
08:53A group of young people were reportedly seen shoving it off a cliff that it was balanced on, causing it to shatter on the ground below.
08:59In one horrific act, eons of natural development were erased.
09:02Despite there being witnesses, the perpetrators were never caught.
09:06Number 20.
09:06Guaira Falls, Paraguay and Brazil.
09:09It's kind of strange to see a deceased symbol next to a massive waterfall's entry on Wikipedia, but here we are.
09:16These stunning falls on the Paranar River roared so loudly that they could be heard from 20 miles away.
09:23Their sighs and deafening sound drew in tourists from around the world, and the falls were deeply loved by the local people.
09:29In 1973, the Itaipu Dam was announced, and the falls' days were numbered.
09:35Over the next nine years, crowds visited the area for a chance to see the falls one last time.
09:40Tragedy struck when a bridge collapsed and killed several tourists.
09:51The falls completely disappeared in 1982, much to the sadness of those who enjoyed their beauty.
09:57You might be wondering how an entire sea can disappear, but never underestimate the power of poorly planned farming practices.
10:09In order to grow large amounts of cotton, the Soviet government diverted the waters of the Amudarya and the Sirdarya rivers from the Aral Sea to the desert.
10:18The sea shrank from 26,300 square miles in 1960, to four small lakes totalling 6,626 square miles in 2004.
10:30Since the 1960s, over 90% of the sea has disappeared.
10:35The remnants of the Aral Sea are highly toxic and too salty to support many forms of life, which has partially led to the probable extinction of the Aral Trout and Sirdarya sturgeon.
10:48This once prosperous village was abandoned by its residents when there was no more fish.
10:54Additionally, the toxins have led to a tragic increase in cancer in the people who live in the region.
11:00This beautiful, unique tree met its unfortunate demise at the hands of one man.
11:21The Kid Caius was a Sitka spruce that had a rare genetic mutation.
11:25The spruce's unusual golden colour made it stand out among the other trees, and it was sacred to the indigenous Hyda people.
11:33The golden spruce even featured in Hyda mythology.
11:36In January 1997, however, Forester engineer Grant Hadwin made cuts in the iconic tree as an act of protest, causing it to fall two days later.
11:47Hadwin faxed in his confession to both the media and the Hyda nation.
11:51He disappeared on his way to his trial and has not been seen since.
11:5617. Prometheus Tree, United States
12:00Yes, this is yet another North American tree that was cut down, but at least it was apparently an accident this time.
12:06Prometheus was a great basin bristlecone pine, and it was believed to be more than 4,800 years old, making it the oldest non-clonal organism known to man.
12:17In 1964, graduate student Donald R. Curry was studying ancient trees.
12:23Accounts vary as to why Curry cut and sectioned Prometheus instead of simply collecting a core sample.
12:29However, Curry claimed that he, and the United States Forest Service personnel who helped him, did not know about the tree's significance.
12:36Sadly, no matter the circumstances, all that remains of Prometheus is a very large stump.
12:4216. El Dorado Ranch Park, United States
12:48Once upon a time, the only risk associated with baby showers was encountering some bad punch.
12:54But nowadays, they can cause massive wildfires that destroy thousands of acres of parklands.
12:59In September 2020, Refugio Manuel Jimenez Jr. and Angela Renee Jimenez decided to reveal their baby's gender with a smoking pyrotechnical device.
13:09The device smoked a little too much and started a fire.
13:13The blaze spread over more than 22,000 acres and resulted in the death of firefighter Charlie Morton.
13:20People were really concerned about the impact that something that started off, that seemed so innocent, ended up having such an amazing impact on people in the community, their homes.
13:30In this case, a life was lost.
13:32If you want to have a gender reveal party, maybe stick with pink or blue cupcakes, instead of involuntary manslaughter and massive destruction.
13:41He's fighting a fire that was started because of a smoke bomb. That's the only reason he's there.
13:45Number 15. The Nazca Lines, Peru
13:48From here, it might not look like much.
13:51Because to really see the Nazca Lines, you need a completely different perspective.
13:56The beautiful and culturally significant Nazca Lines survived two millennia of weather, but even they could not escape the stupidity of people.
14:05The UNESCO World Heritage Site covers a large area, so it is, in theory, pretty difficult to miss.
14:11Unfortunately, in 2018, a truck driver still managed to ruin part of the important site.
14:17Jainer Jesus Flores Vigo drove over a portion of the lines, destroying some of the images.
14:23Along with a much smaller but still significant act of vandalism by activists, this encouraged more stringent security around the area.
14:32Number 14. Big Major K Pigs, The Bahamas
14:36What's better than serene, beautiful beach time?
14:39Serene, beautiful beach time with sweet, adorable pigs, of course.
14:43The famous Big Major K Pigs are so friendly and trusting that they'll even swim with tourists, making for wonderful memories and gorgeous pictures.
14:52And it's turned the swimming pigs of the Bahamas into international superstars.
14:58Unfortunately, the flood of visitors has also resulted in pollution and overly crowded sands.
15:04In 2017, over half a dozen pigs were found dead.
15:07Tourists were blamed for feeding the pigs inappropriate food, including rum, and throwing food into the sand, which the pigs ingested along with the tasty morsels.
15:17Thankfully, the remaining pigs seem to be doing well, but make sure you always refrain from feeding wildlife, no matter how cute it is.
15:25They've become the biggest single attraction in the Exuma Keys.
15:30Number 13. Galapagos Islands Ecosystem, Ecuador
15:34Ever since humans first started visiting these breathtakingly beautiful islands, they've been causing problems.
15:40The flora and fauna of the Galapagos have developed in unique ways, but this sadly makes them vulnerable when it comes to competition.
15:47Humans have been intentionally and unintentionally introducing invasive species of plants and animals to this beautiful archipelago for centuries.
15:56Probably somewhere between 65 to 75% of all the extinctions have occurred on islands. And of that, somewhere between 80 and 90% or even more is because of invasive species.
16:11Some of these invasive species have caused quite a few problems for the native ones, including habitat loss and food competition. Thankfully, efforts have been introduced in an attempt to reduce and reverse the negative impacts.
16:23Tourism is a double-edged sword. It can be good and it can be bad. So let's make sure that we manage tourism the best possible way and we use tourism as a conservation tool.
16:38Number 12. Torres del Paine Forests, Chile
16:42Nicknamed the crown jewel of Patagonia, this UNESCO biosphere reserve is a gorgeous and unique area.
16:49Home to endangered species and stunning views, Torres del Paine National Park draws in hundreds of thousands of visitors a year.
16:57Unfortunately, not every visitor is as responsible as they should be.
17:01This national park suffered from two large fires six years apart. The first, in 2005, was caused by a tourist's overturned gas stove and it burned about 15,000 hectares.
17:13The second, larger fire, burned 17,000 hectares and was caused by a tourist lighting toilet paper on fire.
17:20Both fires killed thousands of animals and caused massive damage. The next time you go camping, make sure you heed Smokey Bear's advice.
17:29Come on, man. If it's too hot to touch, it's too hot to leave.
17:32Number 11. Bwongkok Lake, Cambodia
17:35The destruction of any natural wonder is tragic, but it's even worse when it has an enormous human cost as well.
17:42This lake's shores in Phnom Penh were home to thousands of peoples who depended on its waters for food and money from tourism.
17:50In 2007, the city's government announced the sale of the lake and its surrounding area to a property development firm.
17:56The developers pumped mud and sand into the lake, transforming it from a sprawling body of water to a puddle.
18:03Thousands of families were displaced or evicted from their homes due to this horrific undertaking.
18:09Number 10. Devil's Hole Pupfish
18:12United States
18:13A critically endangered species of pupfish only lives in Devil's Hole in Nevada.
18:19They're so valued as unique that they spawned Save the Pupfish bumper stickers in the 1960s and 70s.
18:26This led to the US government to spend millions of dollars to preserve them.
18:31In April 2016, three men broke into the secured area around Devil's Hole.
18:37They destroyed surveillance cameras and one man even jumped into the hole, smashing pupfish eggs during their peak spawning season.
18:45The vandalism led to the death of one of the valued pupfish, lowering that spring's population from 115 to 114.
18:53Ultimately, the vandals were charged with violating the Endangered Species Act and security around the pupfish habitat was further heightened.
19:02Number 9. Uluru and its Rare Shrimp
19:05Australia
19:06Uluru is an iconic monolith that stands as one of the most recognizable aspects of Australian geography and as a sacred landmark to the Aboriginal people of the area.
19:17When tourists began flocking to the area in the 1930s, some of them made a huge negative environmental impact.
19:24Visitors climbed the sacred sandstone rock against the wishes of the local Unangu and even relieved themselves on the site.
19:32You want to sit, take it out, fire away.
19:35Remember to aim. It's very important.
19:38By the 1970s, human waste was blamed for eliminating a rare species of shrimp that lived exclusively on what's also known as Ayers Rock.
19:47Over the years, there were even more incidents of tourist indecency, including a woman removing much of her clothing upon reaching the top of Uluru.
19:56In 2019, a ban on climbing Uluru finally went into effect to help preserve the site.
20:03Number 8. Paracel Archipelago
20:06South China Sea
20:08Also known as the Shisha Islands, the Paracel Archipelago are in a disputed area in the South China Sea.
20:15Their stunningly clear waters are home to many rare sea creatures and colorful coral reefs.
20:21When the islands were opened up to tourism and cruises in 2013, the wildlife immediately suffered.
20:27Tourists plucked ocean animals from their homes, including lobsters and rare endangered giant clams, and ate them.
20:34They even broke off pieces of coral to take home as souvenirs.
20:38While many of these actions are illegal, that didn't prevent ignorant tourists from posting about their crimes on social media.
20:45Number 7. Racetrack Playa
20:48Despite its name, this gorgeous dry lake in Death Valley is not designed for high speed vehicles.
20:55Its name comes from the mysterious sailing stones that leave behind noticeable trails across the level pristine surface.
21:03Racetrack Playa's beautiful and unusual landscape was vandalized in 2016 when a driver tore through the fragile area and left behind 10 miles of ruts.
21:14Behold, the upward spiraling pigtail!
21:17The driver spun all over the dry lake, cutting swerves and doughnuts all over the ground.
21:23This blatant act of vandalism caused significant, noticeable and long-lasting damage to the picturesque surface crust of Racetrack Playa.
21:33Number 6. Isla de Zaporaza
21:40Spain
21:41While the beautiful Isla de Zaporaza is uninhabited, tourists still frequent it while vacationing in the area.
21:48In fact, some holidaymakers have made it a rite of passage to try to make it to the island while under the influence, despite police warnings.
21:56In 2015, two teenagers were exploring the island. In a grand and stupid move, they dropped a lit cigarette.
22:04It caused an enormous blaze across the island. The fire tore through several acres and required two helicopters carrying water to douse the flames.
22:13Although the incident was treated as an accident, it does serve as a testament to the foolishness of some tourists.
22:20Number 5. Cliffs of Moher, Ireland
22:24The world-famous Cliffs of Moher are among Europe's most stunning natural wonders and are gorgeous on their own.
22:31However, in 2013, a group of artists apparently thought they could one-up one of Mother Nature's most beautiful pieces of art by adding to it.
22:40Much to the dismay of geologists, they graffitied the highest point of the cliffs,
22:45as if it were not obvious enough that these vandals were not the brightest stars in the sky,
22:50they recorded themselves in the act.
22:52They also graffitied several other sites and posted every act of vandalism on their social media before deactivating their accounts.
23:00The rock's 300 million years old. It's got its own natural beauty. It's weathered by the waves, the wind, over vast periods of time.
23:05That's what people come to see. They don't come to see somebody spray-painting a bit of it.
23:08Number 4. Duck Bill, United States
23:11Oregon's Duck Bill was a unique sandstone hoodoo that was iconic on the titular state's coast and attracted many tourists every single year.
23:21The Duck Bill survived decades of winds and tides from the Pacific to serve as a scenic spot for visitors.
23:27It could not, however, survive a group of teenage vandals.
23:31They toppled the one-of-a-kind hoodoo after their friend allegedly broke a leg on the rock formation.
23:37We looked over and there was probably eight guys pushing over the big rock.
23:42The group claimed they were performing a service to the public, despite several warning signs and the area around the Duck Bill being surrounded by a fence.
23:51Although the vandals were filmed in the act, they were never caught.
23:55They kind of just like laughed it off, took it with pride that they destroyed something magnificent and then just kind of disappeared right after.
24:03Number 3. The Tree of Tenere, Niger
24:07Once deemed the globe's most isolated tree, this acacia was thought to be the only tree for more than 250 miles.
24:15It was considered an iconic part of Niger's landscape, especially recognised as a landmark on caravan routes through that area of the Sahara Desert.
24:24And it was even included on maps.
24:26Despite being the only obstacle for literally miles, even this isolated tree could not escape unscathed from ridiculous human behaviour.
24:36In 1973, the tree was inexplicably hit by a truck driver.
24:41Their actions removed an important feature from Niger's landscape.
24:45While a memorial sculpture now stands in its place, the tree can never truly be replaced.
24:51Number 2. Utah's Goblin Hoodoos
24:55Camping among centuries of geological history seems like a dream come true.
25:01But that dream can come crashing down, literally, when morons get involved.
25:07One of Utah's most memorable geographic features are its ancient and giant mushroom-like hoodoos.
25:13In 2013, a Boy Scout troop was visiting the magical and hoodoo-filled Goblin Valley State Park.
25:20Wiggle it, just a little bit.
25:24According to the troop leaders, however, there were goblin hoodoos that seemed too dangerous.
25:29Fearing that one of them could crush someone, the troop leaders toppled the supposedly threatening ancient formation.
25:36People will say, you guys were Boy Scout leaders, you should know better.
25:39They could have easily just reported the potential danger and stayed away from it.
25:43Instead, they filmed and posted their destructive behaviour and then were subsequently removed from their leadership roles.
25:50It's all about saving lives.
25:52They posted their clip on YouTube.
25:54Too bad restoring the goblin hoodoos isn't that easy.
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26:12Number one, Raja Ampat Reefs, New Guinea, Indonesia.
26:18There's not much time left.
26:19The incredible Raja Ampat Reefs, sometimes called the underwater Amazon, are among the most important ecosystems in the world because they contain the most marine life diversity on Earth.
26:31Because of their beauty and amazing coral reef biodiversity, they attract quite a few visitors that, unfortunately, included one particularly destructive cruise ship.
26:42The ship ran aground at low tide and caused irreversible damage to the important ecosystem.
26:55Over 17,000 square feet of the reef were damaged.
26:59The damage was determined to be worth nearly 19 million dollars and recovery will take decades.
27:06With the worldwide decline of coral reefs, this was considered a huge global blow to marine wildlife.
27:20Which natural wonders would you like to visit? Let us know in the comments.
27:25As Hetch Hetch U Reservoir celebrates its 100th birthday, the fight to get rid of it is alive and well.
27:31cience.
27:34The
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