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Finn breaks off Easter Island statue's ear


    SANTIAGO (Reuters) - A 25-year-old Finnish tourist faces possible jail time or a fine for breaking off part of the ear of an ancient statue on remote Easter Island to take home as a keepsake, police said on Tuesday.

    The Finn had only been on the island a day before defacingthe 'Moai' statue on Sunday, and is now in police custodyawaiting to hear his fate after an angry resident caught him inthe act.

    "He says he planned to take it away as a souvenir," apolice official said by telephone from Easter Island, decliningto be named. "He could face prison ... but it is more likely hewill face a fine big enough to fix the damage."

    The Moai monoliths have fascinated visitors to EasterIsland, whose native name is 'Rapa Nui' and which is also knownas 'navel of the world', ever since the first Europeans landedthere on Easter Sunday, 1722.

    Easter Island is a UNESCO world heritage site.

    Carved by Polynesian colonizers out of the island'svolcanic rock from as early as the 10th century according toUNESCO, hundreds of sculptures of huge heads and torsos pepperthe island, which has an area of just 63 square miles (164 sqkm).

    The largest standing statue is nearly 33 feet (10 metres)tall and weighs 75 tonnes.

    (Reporting by Simon Gardner, Editing by Sandra Maler)