St. Vincent and the Grenadines authorities have issued a stern directive warning that uncontrolled livestock could cause permanent damage to irreplaceable indigenous rock carvings at Martin’s Petroglyph Park.
In an urgent public notice, the SVG National Trust instructed livestock owners in Argyle to immediately remove or pen their animals. Unrestrained livestock roaming the grounds have been trampling newly landscaped areas, destroying site signage, and physically threatening the ancient petroglyphs themselves.
Officials cautioned that owners who fail to secure their stock face the impoundment or culling of their animals. Furthermore, animal disruptions have required additional maintenance work, significantly delaying restoration teams.
The conservation alert coincides with an ongoing revitalization project at the site.
Describing the carvings as irreplaceable records of national history, officials warned that deliberate or avoidable damage risks losing a crucial piece of Vincentian heritage forever. Calling conservation a “shared responsibility,” the Trust appealed for full community cooperation to safeguard Martin’s Petroglyph Park for present and future generations.
