KEY POINTS:
An ancient stalactite was deliberately snapped off the roof of a cave and then abandoned nearby.
The 50cm, 3.5kg spike, removed from the Luxmore Cave, near the start of the Kepler Track outside Te Anau, is thought to be several thousand years old.
It was found on Sunday on a nearby walking track.
Te Anau police said yesterday they had been unable to lift fingerprints from the porous limestone structure.
Department of Conservation spokeswoman Caroline Carter told the Otago Daily Times the stalactite had been broken off by someone using a hard, flat object like a torch.
It may have been abandoned because of its weight, or because it was too conspicuous to transport.
Up to 50 people were in the area each day in summer, and it would be difficult to identify those who were in the area around the time the stalactite was removed, Ms Carter said.
Stalactites form as water drips from cave ceilings and leaves mineral deposits, growing at a rate of about 1cm every 100 years.
- NZPA
