Uploaded December 2021 | Updated September 2026, 3 hours ago
If you’re hiking in Big Bend National Park, in Texas, chances are you probably won’t even notice one of its more diminutive residents - the living rock cactus.
That’s partly because the living rock cactus is low growing and relies on camouflage to defend itself from predators. But a slightly more insidious reason you won’t find them? Poachers. Cactus poachers. They’ve been stealing cacti across the desert southwest and Mexico, all in an effort to satiate demand for the ever-growing cactus black market.
The increased demand for succulent plants and succulent gardens as a trendy home decoration has started to take its toll on desert flora and fauna, though. They’re starting to suffer the consequences of illegal cactus harvesting. And in this video, I’ll walk you through that black market and the devastating consequences it’s having on one of America’s most iconic National Parks. Enjoy!
If you’re hiking in Big Bend National Park, in Texas, chances are you probably won’t even notice one of its more diminutive residents - the living rock cactus.
That’s partly because the living rock cactus is low growing and relies on camouflage to defend itself from predators. But a slightly more insidious reason you won’t find them? Poachers. Cactus poachers. They’ve been stealing cacti across the desert southwest and Mexico, all in an effort to satiate demand for the ever-growing cactus black market.
The increased demand for succulent plants and succulent gardens as a trendy home decoration has started to take its toll on desert flora and fauna, though. They’re starting to suffer the consequences of illegal cactus harvesting. And in this video, I’ll walk you through that black market and the devastating consequences it’s having on one of America’s most iconic National Parks. Enjoy!
