Conservation
Endangered Species | Species Survival Plan | Rescue & Rehabilitation
Cactus Rustlers | Cheetah Conservation | AAZK

Cactus Rustlers

Taking desert plants from the wild is illegal, but their sculptural appearance and drought tolerance make them highly desirable. Many grow extremely slowly, so a good sized specimen can be a prized and expensive item. A saguaro takes 60 to 70 years to grow arms, and 150 years to reach full size.

When agents of the Bureau of Land Management catch desert plant rustlers, they often bring the ill-gotten haul to The Living Desert. We have received saguaros and chollas; one confiscation brought in 80 barrel cacti. Recaptured plants go into our gardens.

Our Garden Curator and his staff occasionally go on legal wild collecting trips, armed with permits and releases from the U.S.Department of Agriculture, the Bureau of Land Management, state and federal agencies and, if need be, foreign agencies.

They also go, with proper permission, to development sites to rescue plant specimens from the bulldozer. One site, a rock quarry near Blyth, California, yielded over 100 mature barrel cactus, ocotillo, beavertail cactus and a rare species called foxtail cactus. Developers occasionally donate surplus plant materials, ranging from dune sand laced with wildflower seed to refurbish our Dune Garden, to the huge Washingtonia fan palms landscaping the Education Center and the Oasis Garden.

Related Links:

On the trail of Cactus Rustlers
Kids Cactus Page
Cheetah Conservation Fund
U.S. Fish and Game Wildlife Service - Endangered List by U.S. Region
AAZK - American Association of Zoo Keepers
Department of Fish and Game
Felid Taxon Advisory Group
Ultimate Ungulate
American Livestock Breeds Conservancy