An Arizona Park Is Microchipping Plants to Stop Cactus Thieves
Saguaro National Park has a message for some of its visitors: Stop stealing the cacti. Cactus theft has become so common that officials at the Arizona national park have placed microchips in its famous Saguaro cactus plants in an attempt to deter visitors from stealing them, KTAR News reported.
Officials have placed microchip IDs in about 1,000 cacti along the park's most accessible areas to help identify stolen plants. The digital tags will serve as identifiers to help determine if a cactus was stolen from the park. Officials acknowledged that the chip can't be tracked. Instead, it can be scanned with a special reader, and the system can be used to determine if a cactus was stolen from the park.
"It's ironic that we set aside great places like Saguaro National Park, and people think that they can just come take the iconic cactus for which the park is named," Kevin Dahl, a program manager for the National Park Conservation Association in Arizona, told KTAR News.
Dahl noted that the plant is a lucrative target because it can be sold for as much as $100 per foot. The Saguaro cactus is one of the defining plants of the Sonoran Desert in Arizona and can grow to be more than 40 feet tall.
Saguaro National Park does not have a record of how many cacti have been stolen, but officials said they have found holes throughout the park where the plants used to be. Park officals are hopeful that the new technology will stop this ongoing problem and protect the park's natural resource.
Featured Image by Hakoar / Getty Images
TPG featured card
at Capital One's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 5X miles | Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
| 2X miles | Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day |
Pros
- Stellar welcome offer of 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Plus, a $250 Capital One Travel credit to use in your first cardholder year upon account opening.
- You'll earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, which means you won't have to worry about memorizing bonus categories
- Rewards are versatile and can be redeemed for a statement credit or transferred to Capital One’s transfer partners
Cons
- Highest bonus-earning categories only on travel booked via Capital One Travel
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Enjoy $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening - that’s equal to $1,000 in travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Top rated mobile app