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Oldest tree in Bogor Botanical Gardens falls down after heavy rains
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Educational holiday: Visitors take photos during the 200th Bogor Botanical Gardens anniversary celebration in Bogor, West Java, on May 18. (JP/Seto Wardhana.)
H
eavy rains, which have poured down in Bogor, West Java, since Tuesday afternoon, have uprooted the oldest tree in the Bogor Botanical Gardens.
As of Wednesday morning, the lychee tree, estimated to be 194 years old, was still lying on the ground, Antara reported. No fatalities or injuries were reported in the incident.
The tree was located one the edge of Gunting pond, in the middle of the Bogor Presidential Palace backyard.
Brought from southern China, the lychee tree was planted in 1823 when the Bogor Botanical Gardens were under the leadership of Carl Ludwig Blume, a German-Dutch botanist.
A lychee tree can grow to 15–25 meters in height, with a diameter of around 0.5 -1.5 m.
Environmentalists have expressed their concern about the incident. “I always take the researchers and visitors I escort to stop by [the area near the oldest tree], where we talk about the trees in Bogor Botanical Gardens,” said Putri, an activist from environmental group Komunitas Peduli Ciliwung, on Wednesday.
Putri said she was sad to see that the lychee tree had fallen down and hoped the management of the Bogor Botanical Gardens would grow more lychee trees in the future. “Hopefully, a monument can be built on the site,” said Putri.
Komunitas Peduli Ciliwung head Een Irawan said the lychee tree had been a witness to the history of Bogor City.
“Let’s plant more trees so another tree can live to be 200 years old,” said Een. (hol/ebf)
