FLORIDA, USA — Thieves caught trying to steal the super rare Florida ghost orchid were caught red-handed, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife.
FWC said that K-9 Susan sniffed out the perpetrators who had a bag containing stolen ribbon orchids and one ghost orchid.
The thieves were cited and the plants were returned safely to their state park home, FWC said.
Authorities explained that the ghost orchid can only be found in south Florida and Cuba. They also noted that the orchids are so rare, a book was written about a real-life theft ring in Fakahatchee Strand Florida State Parks.
The rare ghost orchid faces threats in Florida from poaching, loss of habitat and climate change and needs federal protection, environmental groups say.
A petition filed Jan. 24, 2022, with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service asks that the orchid be placed under the Endangered Species Act and that its habitat in southern Florida be designated as critical to its recovery.
The groups estimate there are about 1,500 ghost orchids in Florida, where they have declined by 30% to 50%.
"This mysterious, beautiful plant captivates Floridians, reminding them of our state’s unique, wild heritage," Melissa Abdo, regional director of the National Parks Conservation Association said to the South Florida Sun Sentinel. "While the ghost orchid has always been rare, threats to its existence have become dire in recent years.
"Poaching, climate change, loss and modification of habitat and direct threats to the ecosystem — even in protected areas like Big Cypress National Preserve — could spell disaster for the species."
The newspaper reports, citing the petition, the orchid is threatened by sea-level rise and is intolerant of saltwater. It's also a target of poachers because of its difficulty to cultivate.
The flowers were made famous in the book “The Orchid Thief” by Susan Orlean and the film “Adaptation.”
10 Tampa Bay's Andrew Krietz contributed to this report.
