A tourist sparked controversy on social media after being recorded throwing a stone into the Picos de Europa National Park, located between Asturias, León, and Cantabria. The video, shared by his companions, quickly went viral.
The recording reached the Civil Guard, which is now trying to identify the responsible person. Authorities warned that such actions could cost the offender up to €200,000, equivalent to the value of an apartment in Spain.
The security agency emphasized the seriousness of the act, as throwing objects in protected natural areas can cause rock slides, damage the environment, or even endanger human lives and local wildlife.
While some users celebrated the penalty, others took to social media to criticize the disproportion between the possible fine and other crimes, sparking an intense digital debate.
The Danger Behind an Apparently Harmless Action
According to experts, throwing stones from great heights can trigger avalanches or severely disrupt the ecosystem. These behaviors, in addition to being irresponsible, endanger the safety of hikers and animals.
The Picos de Europa National Park is one of Spain’s most valuable natural spaces, declared a national park in 1918 for its biodiversity, unique rock formations, and protected species.
Actions like these are covered by environmental conservation regulations, which impose severe penalties for endangering the balance of the environment or altering the natural landscape.
An Account Promoting a Dangerous Trend
The video was originally shared by the profile @piedrass.tirar, an account that posts recordings of people throwing stones in different places. The profile, originating in Bizkaia, gained popularity despite promoting dangerous behaviors.
Authorities warn that these kinds of viral “challenges” can encourage harmful behaviors in protected natural areas and remind that parks are not settings to earn likes.
The case is already under investigation and the Civil Guard reaffirms its commitment to protecting natural heritage, ensuring that there will be no tolerance for behaviors that endanger its conservation.
Nature in Its Purest Form: The Environment of Picos de Europa
The Picos de Europa National Park, located between Asturias, Cantabria, and Castilla y León, is one of Spain’s most emblematic natural spaces. Its diversity of landscapes, characterized by rugged mountains, deep valleys, and glacial lakes, makes it a unique refuge for biodiversity.
This ecosystem is home to a wide variety of species, many of them protected, such as the brown bear, the Cantabrian chamois, the capercaillie, and the bearded vulture. Also, its extensive beech and oak forests stand out, acting as carbon sinks and helping regulate the local climate.
The Picos de Europa are key in conserving mountain ecosystems of the Cantabrian Range. Furthermore, its water richness, with rivers like the Cares and the Sella, feeds numerous aquifers and promotes a traditional agriculture and low-impact livestock farming.
Designated as a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO, this space promotes a balance between environmental conservation and sustainable human activities, such as ecotourism, which respects the environment and allows enjoying its beauty without compromising its future.
