Squamish, British Columbia — Authorities in British Columbia urged people to stay away from a cliff above a highway in the Canadian province, where a red Volkswagen Beetle shell was suspended in an apparent prank by engineering students.
BC Parks is working to remove the beetle and hopes to do so within a week, the province’s environment ministry said in a statement Monday. It says the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and park rangers have been asked to investigate.
The car’s shell appeared last week on a cliff above Highway 99 in Squamish, British Columbia, with a large “E” written on its roof, indicating that the University of British Columbia engineering student was carrying on the tradition of placing Beetle shells in difficult locations.
In 2009, a beetle fell from the Iron Workers Memorial Bridge, and Vancouver police arrested five students in an unsuccessful attempt to suspend it.
A university spokesperson did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.
Squamish Mayor Armond Hurford said the area around the Stawamus Chief rock formation is a “sacred place” with deep cultural meaning for the Squamish Nation.
He said the area is also popular with hikers and climbers and “what felt like an innocent prank” had impacted the community.
“This is an area that deserves respect and that was not the case here,” Harford said in the statement.
