Forest inside sinkhole

Carlsbad: Cave explorers in southern China may have found the modernday equivalent of The Lost World. At the bottom of the newly discovered 192m deep sinkhole lies a wellpreserved primitive forest, lush with shoulderhigh flora and tall trees.

Researchers also think there may be new species of animals and plants within the sinkhole, made up of three caves measuring 5 million cubic metres.

The sinkhole was discovered in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, near Ping’e village in the county of Leye, according to the Chinese Government’s official news agency Xinhua.

Ancient trees at the bottom of the sinkhole are nearly 30m tall. — TCA