TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A Canadian traveler who took a basalt stone from Penghu County returned it by mail 16 years later, reports said Saturday (Aug. 5).

A package from Canada arrived at the county’s Agriculture and Fisheries Bureau on July 14, CNA reported. Inside, staff found a letter signed “Redhead” apologizing for taking the basalt during a visit to the archipelago in the Taiwan Strait in 2007.

“I want to return it as it is shaped like an arrowhead and may be of cultural significance,” according to the writer. Sending it back to Penghu would help the object find a resting place in its natural habitat, the letter from Vancouver said.

The bureau said it would have the 7 centimeter-long basalt stone tested to determine whether it had any historical value. While people originally did not show respect for the natural environment of the islands, the situation has now markedly improved, according to the bureau.

Since 1991, five national parks and protected areas have been introduced, including two specifically concerning the typical basalt formations.