Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s… a flying cactus

A crane was used to move the Jardin Exotique’s gigantic opuntia.

A cactus weighing nearly a tonne was seen in the sky over Monaco the other day. Monaco’s Jardin Exotique (Exotic Garden) is closed to the public while major work is being carried out. A news item by French TV channel TF1 showed head gardener Pierre-Louis Grange’s team moving an opuntia cactus that had been growing in the rock for about a century. The project required significant resources, including a crane.

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The cactus was safely secured in a wooden frame. At its foot, rocks were broken up to free the plant’s roots. It was a particularly delicate operation. Speaking to TF1, the head gardener said, “the cladodes are extremely fragile. We tried to tie them down as much as possible, but there is always a risk that they will break. They break like glass.”

It is an unprecedented operation. The team watched, speechless, as the cactus left the ground. “It’s really not a common sight. I don’t think we’ll see this again in our lifetime,” said Pierre-Louis. “That’s why we’re really happy to work here,” added one of the workers. About a hundred metres further up the steep slope, the gigantic cactus was set down prior to being put in a container. We will have to wait until the long-awaited reopening of the Garden to see the extraordinary plant up close.