These days, social media posts featuring pops of pink and blue are inescapable as some parents take on ever more lavish approaches to revealing the sex of their babies. But the past few years have shown that the over-the-top celebrations are prone to disaster — like an accidental wildfire, a plane crash, or a possible environmental crime.
Take this week’s gender-reveal party in Mato Grosso, a state in central Brazil. The environmental ministry is investigating the couple after reportedly contaminating a waterfall and river with blue dye in a gender reveal stunt.
The video of the gender reveal showed a waterfall, which was flowing in an artificial blue shade. The indication was that the couple were expecting a boy but the way it was revealed invited a huge amount of criticism. An investigation has been prompted into the incident by environmentalists in Brazil.
One activist who shared the video on Twitter wrote, “Seriously, they thought it was a good idea to put dye in a waterfall?! So many ways to make a revelation tea, and they managed to choose just one with an environmental impact.”
Washington Post reports that the incident occurred last Sunday, September 25, in the state of Mato Grosso. The waterfall was part of the Queima Pe river, the main water source of the nearby central-west town of Tangara da Serra. The Queima Pe river is a popular tourist destination, and the identity of the couple responsible for the pollution is still undisclosed.
The officials also said that the gender reveal stunt clearly violated BrBrazil’sederal environmental law. The authorities added that the couple had been charged with spoiling the environment, and now the ongoing investigation will determine consequences and charges.