Don't Steal This Cactus

The Associated Press reports today that the National Park Service plans to place microchips into Arizona's saguaro cactus in the Saguaro National Park to keep thieves from stealing them and selling them to landscapers, nurseries and homeowners for $1,000 or more.

The NPS hopes that this will act as a deterrent, but if not, it will help them track down and identify stolen saguaros.

The AP article says that saguaro cacti are "unique to the Sonoran Desert, 120,000 square miles covering portions of Arizona, California and the northern Mexican states of Baja California and Sonora."

Each microchip will cost about $4.50 each, and can be read by a special wand or scanner (which cost between $500 and $2,500). Park rangers plan to check vehicles that go through the park if they appear to be carrying illegally obtained plants. They may also check nearby nurseries if thefts have been discovered on Park property.

This isn't the first time cactus have had microchips inserted into them, the AP says. In 1999, the Lake Mead National Recreation Area in Arizona and Nevada began putting microchips in barrel cacti after getting reports of poaching from park visitors.