The Rafflesia arnoldii, also known as corpse flowers, have bloomed in the last three months, and there were seven flowers blooming simultaneously 15 days ago, Batang Palupuh tour guide Joni Hartono said in Lubukbasung on Monday.
"Currently, there is one Rafflesia flower in perfect blossom," he added.
In Batang Palupuh, he said, there are still many Rafflesia flowers that are still expected to bloom in the next few months.
Batang Palupuh is a destination for foreign tourists to closely examine corpse flowers, as they are protected by Law No. 5 of 1990 on Conservation of Natural Resources and Ecosystems.
However, since the COVID-19 pandemic, visits by foreign tourists have decreased and visitors have been limited to foreign tourists domiciled in Indonesia.
"Currently, the most visits come from domestic and foreign tourists who have resided in Indonesia, but the number is not much," Hartono informed.
Meanwhile, the head of Maninjau Natural Resources Conservation, Ade Putra, said that his team will try to re-record data on the flowers in Batang Palupuh Nature Reserve area.
In the initial stage, his team will collect data on the population of Rafflesia arnoldii flowers over an area of 3.4 hectares.
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"We will record how many populations and distributions to monitor (the flowers') developments, growth, and the time when they bloom," Putra informed.
In Agam alone, there are 14 distribution points of Rafflesia flowers that are spread across Palupuh, Tanjung Raya, Matur, Palembayan, Baso, Malalak, Kamang Magek, and Tilatang Kamang.
Overall, in West Sumatra, there are 36 locations where the flowers are spread, spanning 14 districts/cities: Agam, Limapuluh Kota, Solok, Pesisir Selatan, Solok Selatan, Pasaman, West Pasaman, Padang city, Padang Panjang, among others.
Related news: EARTH WIRE -- Crowds gather to witness Rafflesia flowers bloom
Translator: Altas M, Kenzu T
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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