Name: #TheMoment biologists found a rare flower after 13-year search
Uploaded: 2025-11-22T03:32:09.016Z
Duration: 1 min 25 s
Description: Botanist Chris Thorogood tells The National about the moment he and a team of local researchers found a rare flower seen by very few people known as Rafflesia hasseltii in the Sumatra rainforest in Indonesia.

Botanist Chris Thorogood tells The National about the moment he and a team of local researchers found a rare flower seen by very few people known as Rafflesia hasseltii in the Sumatra rainforest in Indonesia.

Bengkulu

Biologists in Bengkulu, Indonesia, have successfully located the rare Rafflesia seltie flower after a 13-year search. The flower, which grows in remote rainforests where tigers roam, is seldom seen due to its long bud development and short blooming period.

The discovery was an emotional moment for the team, especially for one member who had waited over a decade to witness the bloom. Rafflesia seltie, also known as the corpse flower, is notable for its large size, unique appearance, and strong odor resembling rotting flesh.

#TheMoment biologists found a rare flower after 13-year search

We did it. We found it. It really looks like something sent from another planet. My friend Deki, he's wanted to see it for 13 years. It just had a really strong emotional effect on him. He's crying. Here we go, one minute. It's called Rafflesia seltie, but this particular one is super rare and it grows in this really remote rainforests where tigers prowl by night. Hardly anyone's seen it. We did quite a long trek and had to go up river, down river, down slopes, hanging from vines. Really, it's just been luck. It's down to the gods whether you will actually find this flower open or not. And it was our moment and it opened there and then in front of our eyes. This flower is just so otherworldly. It's like an electrifying experience. You feel like you've seen and experienced something truly special and you sort of hold on to that magic. To experience that together was just, was truly special and something I'll never forget. Now, it's very rare to see this flower because apparently the buds take months to develop and then when they do, they only remain open for a couple of days. Should be noted, though, that this is also the smelliest flower in the world. It is known as the corpse flower because it emits the smell of rotting flesh. Well, I just didn't seem to mind that too much.

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