Catching cactus criminals. (Stateline).
Thieves are raiding the Chihuahuan Desert's rare cacti, and
the ecosystem is suffering. Demand for wild cactus cactus, any plant of the family Cactaceae, a large group of succulents found almost entirely in the New World. A cactus plant is conspicuous for its fleshy green stem, which performs the functions of leaves (commonly insignificant or absent), and for the spines (not and succulent plants Succulent plants, also known as succulents or fat plants, are water-retaining plants adapted to arid climate or soil conditions. Succulent plants store water in their leaves, stems and/or roots. is growing rapidly. Since cactus grows so slowly, those who want larger
specimens are increasingly looking to wild sources. The Chihuahuan
Desert--which spreads from Arizona, New Mexico New Mexico, state in the SW United States. At its northwestern corner are the so-called Four Corners, where Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah meet at right angles; New Mexico is also bordered by Oklahoma (NE), Texas (E, S), and Mexico (S). and Texas into Mexico--is
one of the most biologically diverse deserts in the world and is home to
almost a quarter of the known 1,500 cactus species. In Texas, laws
permit landowners to harvest cacti from their property or give others
permission to do so. But in Arizona, strict laws make cactus harvesting
illegal, thus driving cactus rustlers Rustlers are a range of burgers and hot sandwiches produced by Kepak Convenience Foods, based in Kirkham, Lancashire. The parent company, Kepak, is based in Dublin, Ireland. across to Texas.
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