Because you can get busted for doing so. Chances are, a hobbyist caught in
the act wouldn't get more than a warning -- unless the enforcement officer
happened to be having a really bad day ... A professional grower would get
in a lot more trouble.

Then there's the issue of what to do with them after you rescue them. Do
you have room to keep them all? If not, you need to sell, trade or give
some away -- and each person who gets one is another opportunity to get the
rescuer in trouble. There was a guy busted recently for selling
illegally-collected orchids on e-bay. Undoubtedly, some of those plants
came from protected reserves and he deserves to be punished for collecting
those. But I suspect (without real evidence) that some would more properly
be called rescues from areas about to be destroyed. The authorities don't
appear interested in distinguishing. Kenni

"Jack" wrote in message
oups.com...

SNIP

As for Rape and Pillage, If a place is going to be destoyed ie.
logging or development, why not go in and take out what you can, how
you can, the "natural" enviroment is going bye bye.