Photos: Colombian clones orchids on the brink of extinction

Agricultural technologist Daniel Piedrahita, 62, has made it his life's mission to preserve the flowers at his sanctuary dubbed "The Soul of the Forest" in La Ceja, a town in the department of Antioquia.

In nature, most orchids rely on a specific species of insect, bee or bird for pollination.

In the laboratory, Piedrahita pollinates them to get what he calls a "pure clone," a seed capsule, the fruit of the orchid flower which can contain millions of seeds.

Getting an orchid to flower from the seeds can take years.

He grows exotics and natives, given, bought and even cloned, in an effort to save endangered species from extinction.

Around the world, the unique flowering plants are increasingly threatened by the slashing down of forests, where most orchids are found.

"An orchid? I'll define it for you in one word: perfection," Piedrahita told AFP.

He describes his collection of over 5,000 species as a "genetic bank that I am responsible for... to ensure that each one reproduces perfectly."

The reserve is home to about twenty species that are endangered worldwide and that Piedrahita dreams of returning to their original habitats.

He describes his mission to return the orchards to nature as his "moral, personal duty."