Some residents of San Francisco, in the United States, participated in a treasure hunt with a prize of US$10,000 (R$50,200) that ended in complaints from public authorities.
The site “Buried Treasure” announced that it had hidden a treasure in the city and promised a prize of thousands of dollars. The chest was found 20 days after the announcement, but the incident became a topic of debate on social media after a post showing deep holes scattered across parks and other green spaces.
The organizers revealed that the chest weighed more than 68 kg and was about 30 centimeters beneath the surface. Interested parties could search within an 11 km radius of City Hall.
In the instructions, participants were asked to take care of the sites where the holes would be dug, picking up trash and not damaging other structures.
However, over the days, park staff and environmental officials began reporting damage to the city’s green space, as well as significant harm to plants and the irrigation system.
According to the organizers, gardeners from the Parks and Recreation Department and agents from Angel Island indicated that the holes were dug illegally and were not being properly covered, requiring repairs.
The treasure-hunt organizers released new clues after the case drew attention, aiming to steer searches away from the most affected areas.
The original clues, intended to be similar to a pirate treasure hunt, were as follows:
“Short steps ascend, and beyond them fingers rise,
following on pegs where the treasure rests
considere torres celestiais de ilhas, sobre um distrito abandonado;
severo abrigo de madeira ao norte e Powell, voltado para trás
sob pedra esta casa da moeda jaz enterrada em guarda,
mas interrompa brevemente, por favor — sente-se
reserve um momento entre nós, você que colherá;
somente nós conhecemos este plano, este santuário, este vislumbre
vamos celebrar nossa terra, a cidade, esta jornada
a escalada, as paisagens, nossa única caça por este refúgio
verdadeiramente enquadrado em elenco completo, à esquerda do palco, aos seus pés;
cave apenas um pé de profundidade e — finalmente — erga o prêmio que procura“.
