With the tags in place, rangers can scan suspicious cacti in truck beds and at nurseries to make sure they weren’t pilfered. Ideally, Love says, the mere presence of the tags will deter theft. The tech will also make it easier for scientists to keep track of some of the park’s 1.3 million saguaros and record their location, health and growth rate. “The saguaros are an integral part of the Sonoran Desert,” Love says. “They provide habitats for a variety of animals and birds. Losing them is a serious problem.” He calculates that the tags and scanners will cost the park around $5,000. That might sound like a bargain to city officials implementing a similar system in Palm Desert, California, where thieves have made off with 50 barrel cacti and agave plants in the past six months, a haul worth $20,000. Love still needs to confirm that the chips won’t hurt the saguaros, but he expects to begin tagging plants by the end of the year.
