Cavers Mailing List     № 444

Appeal of Bulgarian cavers

Автор: Grigori M. Sigalov, Ph.D.
Дата: 8 Dec 1996

Привет всем!

В CML проскочило письмо болгарских "пештерняков" о варварском разрушении
уникальных палеонтологических отложений в пещере Врелото. Так как
документ, на который ссылался Ясен Русев, является Web-страницей и не всем
доступен, ниже приводится его полный текст. Иллюстрации - цветные
фотографии в формате JPEG - я могу выслать лично тем, кто заинтересуется.

Будет неплохо, если кто-то, прочитав это письмо, зашлет в рассылку его
краткий пересказ по-русски...

Г.Сигалов.

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[Save the Nature]

The only mammal fossil depository of prehistoric animals in Bulgaria, unique
for the paleontologic science, was destroyed in Vreloto Cave !!!
                                                                    [Image]
[Image] "Where are the green fields that we used to roam?" [Image]

This is a story about a unique place, a place that existed millions of years
untouched. Now it's been destroyed. As things happen on our planet.
Humankind is the most dangerous of all species - we destroy our home, the
Earth. Everything is disappearing, piece by piece

Many books have been written on environmental problems, many will be
written. We prefer to write rather than to act. But the written here is not
without Action.

15 November 1980, Bulgaria. A small group from Speleo Club Akademic, after
hard work, discover a new cave 30 km away from Sofia, the capital of
Bulgaria. The cave is located in Vitosha National Park. The length reached
is 890 meters, where the way ahead is blocked. The perspectives are - the
longest cave in Bulgaria (approximate length more than 40 km.).

3 years later - the further exploration of the cave is stopped because a
narrow sump has been reached.

1 January 1990. Our Club Extreme discovered new parts of the cave and by
1996 more than 5 km of new cave galleries have been explored. The part
discovered so far is rich in unique calcite formations and crystals.

[Image] [Image] We found several cave rooms, bigger than any discovered so
far in the country. One of them measures 230 meters in length. During all
our numerous visits in the cave we have taken the utmost [Image]
precautions not to damage or change the cave environment. We have
only taken numerous photographs and made a video film. The most unique and
interesting of our discoveries was the only prehistoric mammal fossil
depository in Bulgaria, containing fossilised bones of rare species, some of
which were not known to have inhabited this area of the Balkan peninsula. In
this connection for some time now we have been trying to find, albeit
unsuccessfully so far, support for undertaking a more systematic research
and study of the cave.

On November 7, 1996 some of the fossil remains were broken and taken out of
the cave by three people, whose names are known. We immediately tried to
 [Image] alert public opinion by publishing the story and names in one of
          the national newspapers. We also informed the Ministry of the
Environment and "Vitosha" National Inspection for Environmental Protection..
The responses we received varied. We were particularly alarmed by the
negative reaction of some influential people at the Zoological Institute of
the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. The leader of the three vandals, his name
is Delian Delchev happens to be the son of one of the scientists at the
Institute - Hristo Delchev. More than 40 scientists signed an open letter
that the vandals are innocent, and that we, explorers of the cave are
against the scientific research, etc., without knowing anything, just acting
for their friend - the father. They never heard his angry words: "If I want,
 [Image] I'll go and destroy everything in the cave". That's what he told
          us in front of Peter Beron, director of the Nature-Scientific
Museum (also boss of Bulgarian Federation of Speleology). At this very
moment, the father is using his connections as best as he can to stop the
Ministry of the Environment from pursuing the case further and against us.
Even he 'used' his 'connections' to publish a fake material in the
'Democracy' newspaper to protect his son. In the newspaper it is said that
fossils were "in the hands of the science" and that all cavers are working
against the scientific investigations. Also that a scientist from Zoological
Institute, named Vasil Popov (close friend of the father) ask the son to
take out the fossils. But cave Vreloto is located in National Park Vitosha
and no one can just go there and carry out these unique fossils. Even if
Vreloto is not located in a National Park. Also the open letter from the
father, signed by 48 scientists, was send to the minister of the
Environment. And can you believe that? - With the same "connections" his
son, the leader of the vandals, is soon going to be working as an "expert"
in the "Vitosha" National Park Regional Inspection for Environmental
Protection 'saving' the nature (you know how...).

What about the remains that have been carried out? When the article about
that vandalism appeared in the newspaper, the remains appeared in the
Zoological Institute and after in Nature-Science Museum (located in the same
building). But only some of them, in sorry, broken trim. Noone knows where
are the others... And the few that were carried out turn out to be really
unique not only for our country!

BUT until now (4 weeks later) they have remained in the desk of the director
of the Museum, Peter Beron, WITHOUT ANYONE TO TAKE THE PROPER MEASURES FOR
THEIR CONSERVATION. Anyone knows that the low humidity and the high
temperature will turn them into dust in just a few days! We ask for that the
director Peter Beron. The answer was: "We know what to do".

And now what? (We'll update this information every day) 06.12.1996

   * Ministry of Environment - has started the process for protection of the
     cave. But nobody want to remember the recent vandalism... and to take
     the proper attitude to the robbers of the fossils.
   * Zoological Institute - tries to hide and keep silent as long as it can.
     Also some people there act against science, environment and us, the
     cavers.
   * Nature-Science Museum - no answer.
   * National Park "Vitosha" RIEP - has started the process for protection
     of the cave.
   * Bulgarian Federation of Speleology - no answer.
   * Internet, other organizations for Environmental Protection - best
     wishes from all...
   * Us - our efforts will never end!

Sorry to say it, but all this seems like a BIG NICE MASK and behind it there
is million dollars for protection of the environment, luxurious cars,
environmental Projects which main aim is to GET THE MONEY, CORRUPTION in all
levels, etc. It is the evident... The 'not-evident' thing is: WHERE IS THE
NATURE IN ALL THIS ???

[Image]

If you want to contact any of the organizations above and want to act
against this pure vandalism... contact information is here

Just a fax will make a big difference. Don't let ours' be a lonely voice!

[Image]

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