[ad_1]
Tucson park rangers are turning to the public for help after several saguaro cactuses were found cut down at Saguaro National Park.
The cactuseswere found in the Scenic Trailhead of the park’s West District, according to officials.
“Tucson, Arizona is home to the nation’s largest cacti,” the park’s website reads. “The giant saguaro is the universal symbol of the American west.”
Rangers are asking anyone who was in the area around Oct. 3 to contact the National Park Service at 888 653-0009 or online at nps.gov/orgs/1563/submit-a-tip.htm. Tips can be submitted anonymously.
The giant cactuses can live for up to 200 years and grow in a relatively small area, primarily the Sonoran Desert in Sonora, Mexico, and southern Arizona.
And they may be on the decline. A 2018 report by the National Park Service found that climate change, drought, invasive plants and activities such as woodcutting and cattle grazing have left fewer saguaro seedlings to replace aging and dying specimens.
CACTUS CRITTERS: Woman snaps photos of bobcats on cactus in Apache Junction
Reach breaking news reporter Salma Reyes at [email protected] or on Twitter @r_salma_
Read or Share this story: https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2020/10/14/several-saguaro-cactuses-found-cut-down-saguaro-national-park-tucson/3657797001/
[ad_2]
Source link