Easter Islanders seek outside help for iconic statues' 'leprosy'
1 / 5Statues named "Moai" are seen on a hill at the Easter IslandStatues named"Moai" are seen on a hill at the Easter Island, Chile January 31, 2019. Picture taken January 31, 2019. REUTERS/Jorge VegaBy Marion Giraldo
Dozens of giant"Moai" statues dominate the hillsides surrounding the island's Rano Raraku wetland, but they are facing the threat of what locals describe as a kind of leprosy, white spots that are appearing on their iconic facades. "I imagine that in a century more these Moai will basically be rectangular figures," Tahira Edmunds, adviser to Chile's National Forestry Corporation who has worked on cleaning the sculptures to remove the lichen, told Reuters during a visit to the island last month.
The most famous Moai groupings, such as the Ahu Tongariki, 15 statues arranged along a platform by the sea, and those scattered around the Ranu Raraku quarry, the source of the stone, are already being cared for by heritage experts and the indigenous community's administrators of the Rapa Nui National Park.
"You will never be able to entirely prevent the impact of time or the weather, but you can hold it back, so that more people can see them first," Haoa told Reuters.With no government fund specifically dedicated to preserving the island's heritage, the community allocates a large part of its income from tourism to repair and protection measures.
Mayor Pedro Edmunds Paoa instead suggested the Hoa Hakananai'a could act as an"ambassador" for Easter Island, and Britain could keep it in return for regular payments to ensure the upkeep of its Easter Island counterparts."We would win much more," he said.
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