On Monday morning a large section of the Hopewell Rocks in New Brunswick collapsed, leaving a pile of rubble where there was once was an elephant shaped landmark.
A sizeable chunk of the East Coast attraction broke off earlier in the week and pictures of the flowerpot rock formations were quickly circulated around social media when a Facebook post entitled ‘Has Anyone Seen My Elephant?‘ was widely shared.
Has anyone seen my elephant?Elephant Rock underwent a major change this morning as approximately half the formation…
Posted by The Hopewell Rocks on Monday, March 14, 2016
One of 17 freestanding formations, the Elephant Rock was so well-known it even featured on the New Brunswick Medicare card. Experts say that the large rock formations, located on the Bay of Fundy at Hopewell Cape (near Moncton), were likely affected by the recent temperature swings.
On the Facebook post, a spokesperson for Hopewell Rocks explained to those disheartened by the news that although the fall had blocked passageways between Big Cove and Castle Cove, due to the effects of nature its ever changing dynamic means it’s more than just a pile of rubble.
Although he agrees it’s sad to see the Maritime’s most popular tourist attractions crumble, Kevin Snair, Supervisor of Interpretive Services, told the Canadian Press that things aren’t so bad. In fact, we should be excited by this development, as it’s important to remember that we’re seeing geography occurring in real time.
“To see it gone, or changed, it’s sad. But it’s also exciting. As an interpreter, we talk about how the park was formed and we’re trying to explain to guests that erosion isn’t something that happened thousands of years ago. It’s still happening today.”
The Facebook post explained that while Elephant rocks metamorphosis was exciting, the cliff formations are never 100 per cent safe, and that caution should be exercised, since the rising temperatures and cold nights make spring an extra volatile time for the rock.
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