Famous Monkey-Face Orchids are Vanishing in the Wild
The Dracula orchids, also known as "monkey-face orchids", have gained online popularity due to their unique appearance, with millions of people sharing photos of the flowers that seem to smile, frown, or grimace.
However, a new global assessment has revealed that most of these species are on the verge of extinction, with nearly seven in ten of the 133 assessed species threatened with extinction.
Many of these orchids exist only in small fragments of forest, with some found in only one or two known locations, and a few are only known to exist in cultivation, with their wild populations potentially already gone.
They look like tiny monkeys peering out from the mist.
A new global assessment has, for the first time, revealed the conservation status of all known Dracula orchids.
- 133 species of Dracula orchids were assessed.
- Nearly seven in ten species are threatened with extinction.
Author's summary: Dracula orchids are facing extinction.