Overview
- Indonesian conservationist Septian “Deki” Andriki was filmed in tears as the rare bloom opened, a clip that drew widespread attention online.
- The team reached the site after roughly 23 hours of trekking in tiger habitat under special permit with ranger Iswandi.
- Researchers identified the flower as Rafflesia hasseltii, whose buds take about nine months to mature and whose blooms last only a few days, with sightings in the wild reportedly absent for more than a decade.
- Users on X added a community note to Oxford’s post urging explicit credit for Indonesian collaborators, naming Deki, Joko Witono and Iswandi.
- Conservationists link the moment to urgent habitat protection needs in Sumatra, citing pressure from palm oil expansion and calling for sustainable ecotourism.