Practical care for caves in Slovakia - Cave cleaning

Slovakia has at present more than 5,400 known caves out of which 185 most important has been closed. The Slovak Caves Administration closed 83 caves since 2002. Fifteen cave closures were reconstructed. Four abysses were fenced to prevent from pollution, falling of wild animals or people. Cleaning the dangerous waste from caves and abysses is very important task in keeping natural and sustainable state of karst environment. Seven speleological localities were cleaned in this period.

Cleaning of caves and abysses in 2005

The Marble Riverbed in the Demänovská Cave of Liberty was cleaned from antropogenic material in amount of one ton, which were the remains from the first opening the cave to the public in 1923. Iron piping and remains of wooden path were removed from the Discovery Passage, and also wooden cases for ammunition and old wooden waste from the Loamy Passage. The cavers from Banská Bystrica cleaned the entrance shaft to the Ponická Cave – the second entrance, where the hunters used to throw the remains of hunted animals. Similar problem was dealt with in the Cave pod Spišskou near Olšavica, where the waste were mainly skins and entrails of died animals (wild boars and deer). After cleaning the members of SK Šariš fenced the cave and closed by special closure with locking mechanism and cover against sawing off. Prevailingly civic waste floated from ponors at the Domica Cave was removed from the Discovery Passage. Also the Výstrelová Abyss on the Plešivecká Plateau was cleaned up. Except for caves and abysses also the ponor dolines in Domica Cave protection zone and Demova jama doline near Podbanište Cave (Drienčansky kras) were cleaned, since they closely communicate with underground. The doline with active water flow at Maršálková in the Slatinka Karst was cleaned by Trenčín caveres. After liquidation of 1,4 tons of communal waste with plastics and tyres, they discovered 20 m long cave.

Pavol Staník and Igor Balciar