Arizona Rangers Trying to Protect Cactus from Thieves

Rangers at Saguaro National Park in Tucson have given the formidable defenses of the saguaro cactus a high-tech upgrade.

In addition to prickly spines, many saguaros are now equipped with tiny microchips to ward off would-be thieves.

The chips are barely large enough to grasp with a thumb and a forefinger. They are similar to ones used to keep tabs on household pets.

The park’s chief ranger, Bob Love, refers to them as PIT tags or passive integrative transponders.

Love said he hopes the chips will eliminate theft of the valuable saguaro.

The saguaro is “the keystone species of the Sonoran Desert” and “the iconic image of the Southwest,” according to Love.

“Every saguaro is vital to the park, and we try to protect and preserve all of them,” he said.

Saguaros are a valuable commodity in the underground landscape trade. Saguaro rustlers target medium-sized cacti between 4 and 7 feet tall because they are easier to move. They can sell for as much as $1,000.

Theft of a saguaro carries a maximum penalty of five years in jail and a $20,000 fine.

The need for greater protection became apparent in 2007 after rangers foiled the theft of 17 large saguaros.

“That was the first incident we had become aware of where there was a large instance of saguaro theft as opposed to just one or two,” Love said. “And so that got us to thinking.”

The idea originated at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area in southern Nevada, where rangers tagged barrel cacti with microchips.

“They had some success with the project so we thought we would give it a shot,” Love said.

He brought the idea to the park support group, Friends of Saguaro National Park, which agreed to fund the project.

In February, the Park Service starting implanting chips, with a budget of $12,000.

The chips cost $7 each and are injected into saguaros with a syringe. Each chip has a corresponding number in a Park Service database.

“I hope we don’t run in to any more cases of saguaro theft,” Love said. “I hope these chips will be enough of a deterrence to make people feel it is not worth the risk.”