Pekanbaru, Riau, March 26, 2013. In February 2013, the Tiger Patrol Unit (TPU) – a collaboration team between WWF indonesia and Riau’s Natural Resources Conservation Centre– has discovered a perfect blooming of White Red Rafflesia (Rafflesia hasseltii) flower in Rimbang Baling Hills Wildlife Sanctuary, Kampar District, Riau Province, Sumatra. This is the first time the kind of flower is being discovered in Rimbang Baling Wildlife Sanctuary area. 

 

 

 

Tiger experts have classified the forest of Rimbang Baling Hills Wildlife Sanctuary as a long term priority area for Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) conservation. In 2012, WWF camera traps caught five of seven wild cats species in the same location. However, this area now is under threatened by encroachment and illegal logging activities. This discovery has proved that the biodiversity existence in Rimbang Baling Hills Wildlife Sanctuary is still on good condition, and therefore confirms the need for improved management and protection of the area. 

The White Red Rafflesia flower is protected under Indonesian Government Regulation No.7 Year 1999, and listed as an endangered plant in IUCN Red List. 

 

The team has found five flowers, where one of them is blooming perfectly with diameter size around 50 cm in 448 m asl location. It is very rare to find this flower on perfect blooming condition. 

 

This kind of rafflesia flower is also known as “Cendawan Muka Rimau” in local language. At bloom time, the diameter of this flower could reach 30-50 cm, with 11-13 cm lobes, and 15-17 cm width. The colour is brownish red with white slab that relativity large and irregular – that is why this magnificent flower got a ‘white red rafflesia’ nickname. This kind of rafflesia is a parasitic flower plant with Tetrastigma leucostaphyllum as the genus. It is found in Malaysia’s Peninsula Strait, Sarawak, and Sumatra Island in Indonesia. In 2001, LIPI identified distribution of this flower was limited only in Thirty Hills National Park and Sanglap Village of Riau and Jambi Province, as well as Kerinci Seblat National Park of Jambi and West Sumatra province.

 

 

 

High resolution photo of White Red Rafflesia flower can be downloaded through this link: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/vcujggrsin7m2bb/m1MY7xLop6
with © WWF-Indonesia as the copyright.

Interview video with Nursyamsu (the member of TPU who discovered the White Red Rafflesia flower in Rimbang Baling Hills Widlife Sanctuary) can be accessed through these links:

 

 

Syamsidar, Communication Senior Officer WWF-Indonesia, Riau Program

Email: syamsidar@wwf.or.id,
Mobile: +62812-689-6095
 

Diah R. Sulistiowati, Communication Coordinator of Forest, Freshwater and Terrestrial Species, WWF-Indonesia
Email: dsulistiowati@wwf.or.id,
Mobile: +62811-100-4397 

 

 

One of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with over 5 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. In Indonesia, WWF presents in 27 site locations in 17 provinces. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the Earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption. More info, please visit www.wwf.or.id