ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – Every day people take pictures of the marble lions at the foot of the Bridge of Lions. But once in a while someone approaches the lions with a different purpose.
"We had someone paint the eyes and nose red before," said Jim Piggott, director of general service for the city of St. Augustine. "We had someone just recently pour what we believe to be cooking oil on the lions."
Piggott said that while the lions weren't badly damaged, the base was. Repairs cost the city $1,200.
"This is just an added thing ... that just doesn't need to be there," Piggott said. "It's another thing our taxpayers have to pick up the cost."
To discourage the vandalism -- or help catch whoever is doing it -- the city will put up surveillance cameras next week They will also putting up signs to let people know they are being recorded.
"It's sad that you got to do that to begin with," said Tony Garbo, who are visiting from Arizona. "It just downgrades the city. It makes you not want to go there."
The city said if the cameras doesn't work to reduce the vandalism, they may have to put fencing around the lions. Piggott said that's a move the city doesn't want to make.