Visitors to Mammoth Cave may expect to leave with memories of its vast underground passages, but they also leave something far less welcome behind. Fibres from clothing, strands of hair and tiny pieces of rubbish gradually collect along the routes through the world’s longest cave system, forming small balls nicknamed “lint bunnies”. The debris is more than an eyesore: it can encourage microbial growth, affect cave formations and settle on historic artefacts. To tackle the problem, volunteers from the National Speleological Society return to the cave with brooms and HEPA vacuums, carefully removing the human debris. Over the years, their efforts have collected about 600 pounds.
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