Helicopter crushes flowers as crowds flock to 'super bloom'

Park officials say many wildflower tourists have been well-behaved, but some have ignored pleas to stay on trails

In one of the most famous literary descriptions of wildflowers, the English poet William Wordsworth wrote in the early 19th century of happily gazing upon a host of daffodils "fluttering and dancing in the breeze". In 21st-century California, wildflowers dancing in the breeze are being trampled by helicopter.

As thousands of sightseers descend on southern California parks for a springtime "super bloom", officials reported on Wednesday that a couple in a helicopter landed in the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve, crushing the delicate plants. They proceeded to walk around, further inflicting harm. As soon as they were approached by law enforcement officers, they scurried back into their aircraft and zoomed away.