Butterfly formation stolen from caverns

Wire Report

SONORA - Officials at the Caverns of Sonora said Tuesday they are hoping for the return of a stolen portion of the site's most well-known attraction, a naturally formed translucent butterfly.

About two-thirds of one of the butterfly's wings was stolen shortly before Thanksgiving, and the Sutton County Sheriff's Office continued to investigate Tuesday, officials said.

"That was our signature formation," said Gerry Ingham, the cavern's co-owner and chief financial officer. "It was literally the heart of our cave."

The longer the wing is out of the humidity of the caves, the harder it will be to reattach, she said. The wing will dry out and eventually crumble.

"It is worthless out of its cave, its natural environment," Ingham said.