Pok茅mon Go Leads To Heiau
State officials听say听two people searching for Pok茅mon wandered into a sensitive location on Kauai.
Well, at least no one fell off a cliff. Yet.
A 听Division of State Parks employee reported听that two people searching for Pokemon in the augmented reality game听walked听into “a sensitive heiau on Kauai where a cultural protocol was underway.”
That’s according to a press release Friday.
Chair听Suzanne Case said in a statement: 鈥淯nfortunately, we are quickly seeing unintended consequences of this new application by Google, in the outdoor issues that the hunt for Pok茅mon characters via digital devices can create, for both cultural and natural resources here in Hawa鈥檌 and elsewhere.鈥
Curt Cottrell, DLNR’s Division of State Parks administrator, advises the following for folks heading听into the great wide open:
- Be safe.听Use electronic devices responsibly and in emergencies to call for help. Distracted hiking, like distracted driving, can lead to accidents.
- Stay on designated trails.听Follow all signs and closures.听Do not trespass, or enter natural or cultural areas where access is prohibited.
- Carry out what you carry in.听Leave no trace.
DLNR did not offer this advice, but it might be helpful as well: Put down the smartphone and enjoy the world as it really is.
