The Gunung Gading National Park located in southwest Sarawak is renowned as the home of the stunning but odiferous Rafflesia bloom. Aside from this odd but awe-inspiring specimen of flora, the park also hosts various other attractions like various species of rare plants, challenging jungle trails, sparkling waterfalls and four towering peaks namely, Gunung Gading, Gunung Perigi, Gunung Sebuloh and Gunung Lundu.The Gunung Gading Park is easily accessible from Kuching and is popular with tourists as a day trip option. The park was set up in August 1993, as a conservative effort for the Rafflesia bloom which is found in abundance at the park. The park was then opened to the public in 1994.
The credit of discovering the fascinating Rafflesia, believed to be the world’s largest if not ‘stinkiest’ flower, is attributed to the founder of Singapore, Sir Stamford Raffles who came upon the bloom while he was on a field trip with Dr Joseph Arnold in the town of Bencoolen in Sumatra. The particular bloom that the duo stumbled on, measured a massive 97 cm in diameter. The news of the existence such a specimen cause quite a stir in the botanical world at that time and the flower soon came to known as ‘Rafflesia Arnoldi’ after the two men who discovered it.
The Rafflesia is a parasite which takes root on a host, a vine called tetrastigma, a member of the grape family. Much of the biology of the flower remains a mystery until today and scientists are still in the process of studying it. So far they have discovered that the Rafflesia is native to South-East Asia and it grows well in mountainous regions at elevation levels of 400 to 1300 meters. Further, it is thought that 17 species of Rafflesia exist in the world and the flower that grows within the Gunung Gading Park is a species known as Rafflesia Tuan-Mudae.
Unfortunately for all it various oddities, the Rafflesia is in fact a very delicate bloom which actually is a result of a very precarious growth process. Not much is known about the germination or pollination process of the growth of the flower, only that the process transition from a bud into a mature flower, for the Rafflesia, can take as long as eighteen months. During this time the bud leads a very perilous existence as it can be easily damaged due to adverse climatic conditions.
A bud which survives the trials of nature then goes on bloom as a flower which is characterized by large, speckled, red, fleshy petals. The said flower blooms for only three to five days, after which it darkens and begins to rot. The Rafflesia flowers are either male or female and since they cannot self-germinate, they need the help of carrion flies to aid them with the process. To attract these flies the flowers emit a truly vile odor whilst in bloom. The flower’s seeds are also thought to be dispersed by small mammals and rodents which feast on the flowers.
As there are so many diverse factors at play for the survival of the Rafflesia, it is imperative that its natural habitat be preserved in its totality. This was the main reason that led to the creation of the Gunung Gading Park.
The bloom period of the Rafflesia has no set pattern and is rather unpredictable. So if you are planning a visit to the Gunung Gading Park for a viewing of these odd ball blooms, it is advisable to check with the park authorities before setting out on your trip to the park.
Further if you are really keen to see the Rafflesia, you should perhaps try and plan your trip during the ‘wet’ season which extends from November to February. During this period, the Rafflesia are known to blossom in various areas of the park like around the buildings that house the headquarters of the park and on the lower slopes of the peaks located within the park.
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