More
details are coming out about the case of the two orchid smugglers
recently arrested in New Zealand, and the story is quite interesting.
"Dr
Ian St George, convenor of the New Zealand native orchid group, said
word had gone out on their "amateur grapevine" about a suspicious pair
of orchid hunters asking to be guided to the flowers since before
Christmas. Members were asked not to do so.
Dr St George said there were about 150 native orchids, with about 20 that were "vanishingly rare".
One,
known as either Corybas or Anzybas Carsei could be found only in one
Waikato swamp which he refused to name. Known as the Swamp Helmet, it
is about the size of a fingernail, completely dark maroon and is
described by Dr St George as "the closest we have to an All Black
orchid". It would be too hard for them to find, given only one man knew
the way through waist-deep bog and it was only in flower for two weeks
of the year in September.
He had not seen it himself and it has been rarely photographed.
...The
type of orchids the men had allegedly smuggled would be a strong
pointer to whether any smugglers had received local help. He would be
"absolutely disgusted" if they had. "
The two men are from Czechoslovakia, and they are no ordinary common thiefs:
"...Cihalik
is dean of the medicine school at the 430-year-old Palacky University
in Olomouc. ... (He) is a cardiologist specialising in the
electrophysiological activity of the heart. He is the author of an
extensive electrocardiogram atlas. He is married to a researcher of
botanical genetics. His two adult sons are art historians involved in
the conservation of cultural monuments.
Smitak is a public
servant from Brno, 78km southeast of Olomouc.There he is the chairman
of the Society of Tropical Orchid Growers and of the Friends of
European Wild Orchids.
The pair have surrendered their passports as part of their bail conditions. "