"It belongs to nature" German sends stolen stones back to Lanzarote - for fear of an accident

A German tourist stole stones from a national park in Lanzarote - and later sent them back in remorse for fear of another disaster.

A German tourist has taken stones from a nature reserve on the Spanish island of Lanzarote - and has now sent them back, as RTL reports. The man explains his decision as follows: "I have heard legends that taking volcanic rocks with you brings bad luck. And I'm afraid that's exactly what happened to me," he writes.

Timanfaya National Park published the handwritten letter on Instagram. "After a serious personal tragedy, I feel obliged to return these few grams of rock to Fine Mountain," it continues.

The letter also included the stones he had taken with him. In it, the tourist asked: "I would be eternally grateful if you would scatter them in front of the visitor center where I picked them up, in the place with the 'hot coals'."

Fine of up to 2777 francs possible

By publishing the letter, the Timanfaya National Park is reminding visitors that collecting stones is prohibited and can be punished with fines of up to 3000 euros (around 2777 francs).

This is because removing rocks could damage the region's ecosystem. "This stone has no meaning in your display case. It is not a souvenir or raw material for a pendant. It belongs to nature. It carries the life and culture of our island," writes the park. "Whoever steals nature steals the future," it continues.

It is not known whether the tourist received a fine.