Residents Find New Habitat of Rafflesia Arnoldii in Bengkulu
26 October 2018 17:20 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Bengkulu - The Rafflesia Community in Kaur, Bengkulu, has discovered a new habitat of the rare flower Rafflesia arnoldii around Ulak Bandung village, Muara Sahung district, Kaur regency.
“We have mapped this location as a new habitat for Rafflesia arnoldii,” said the coordinator of the Padang Guci Rare Flower Care Community (KPPLG), Andri Yan, in Bengkulu on Wednesday, October 24.
Ulak Bandung village's acting head Zul Almahera has volunteered to become a guide for visitors wanting to see the rare flower.
“Since there is a corpse flower habitat, the number of visits to the location has been quite high," Yan said, adding that there were Australian tourists on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Read: 2 Rafflesia Flowers Bloom Perfectly in Bengkulu
The coordinator of the Rare Flower Care Community (KPPL), Sofian Ramadhan, said the new habitat had increased the number of Rafflesia flowers' growing spots in the province.
Currently, there are eight Rafflesia growing spots in Bengkulu, namely Kaur, South Bengkulu, Seluma, Kepahiang, Central Bengkulu, North Bengkulu, and Lebong and Mukomuko.
Virtually all regions in Bengkulu—except Bengkulu city—are home to natural habitats of the Rafflesia arnoldii. “That is why it is very important to preserve the forests of Bengkulu,” said Sofian.
ANTARA