Old DPS reports referred to the "register-eating Grinch."
I've found the old can-in-can type registers dismantled, with the contents lying around, usually below the peak. I assume this damage was done by animals, who wanted the salt from our hands, the oils left behind from coconut-scented sunscreen, or (sometimes) the food and other scented products people felt compelled to leave in the cans. Animals are getting more and more used to people, and more inclined to seek food in human-touched places.