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View all search resultsProtect our rafflesia and forests
The recent hasseltii sighting underlines the urgent need for forest conservation and reforestation to protect the at least 16 rafflesia species discovered in Indonesia
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![The flower of a *****['Rafflesia hasseltii' (ITALICS)]***** is seen blossoming on Nov. 19 in Sumpur Kudus district, Sijunjung regency, West Sumatra. The flower was spotted during a field observation jointly conducted by local conservationists as well as researchers from the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) and Oxford University in the United Kingdom.](https://img.jakpost.net/c/2025/11/25/2025_11_25_169414_1764070717._large.jpg)
The flower of a *****['Rafflesia hasseltii' (ITALICS)]***** is seen blossoming on Nov. 19 in Sumpur Kudus district, Sijunjung regency, West Sumatra. The flower was spotted during a field observation jointly conducted by local conservationists as well as researchers from the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) and Oxford University in the United Kingdom. (Handout/Courtesy of Septian Andriki)
A
mid the doom and gloom characterizing recent global events, rare, positive, albeit pungent, news has bloomed from a forest in West Sumatra. A Rafflesia hasseltii, a parasitic flower from the same genus as the world-renowned Rafflesia arnoldii, was recently rediscovered in a community forest in Sijunjung regency.
The expedition involved local conservationists working alongside botanists from the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) and the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.
While relatively smaller than its cousin arnoldii, this rare sighting is astonishing in its own right. Like other variants of its kind, the parasitic Rafflesia hasseltii requires specific conditions from its host and environment to grow for months, only to bloom for less than a week. Consequently, catching a flower in full bloom is an extraordinary stroke of luck for researchers.
What makes this rediscovery even more compelling is the story of Septian Andriki, a conservationist and rafflesia enthusiast from Bengkulu, a region known as "The Land of Rafflesia." His 13 years of arduous work identifying and mapping rafflesia across Sumatra finally paid off with the rare opportunity to witness this species firsthand.
Beyond its botanical beauty, the hasseltii sighting underlines the urgent need for forest conservation and reforestation to protect the at least 16 Rafflesia species discovered in Indonesia so far. As the country loses the forests that house the plant’s host vines, the Rafflesia is left with little space to grow.
The situation in the Sumpur Kudus community forest, where Septian found the hasseltii, is precarious, illegal gold mining and oil palm plantations are rampant in the area. Deforestation remains a prominent cause for concern.
Auriga Nusantara, for example, has recorded Indonesia's highest deforestation rate since 2021. According to their latest tracking, the country lost 261,575 hectares (four times the size of Jakarta) in 2024, a 1.6 percent jump from the previous year. Auriga’s findings are particularly notable for identifying that this new wave of clearing is largely legal, overturning the historical trend of illegal forest destruction.
![The flower of a *****['Rafflesia hasseltii' (ITALICS)]***** is seen blossoming on Nov. 19 in Sumpur Kudus district, Sijunjung regency, West Sumatra. The flower was spotted during a field observation jointly conducted by local conservationists as well as researchers from the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) and Oxford University in the United Kingdom.](https://img.jakpost.net/c/2025/11/25/2025_11_25_169414_1764070717._medium.jpg)
