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When it comes to the world’s most extraordinary flowers, Rafflesia is often at the top of the list. Known for being the largest individual ‘flower’ and emitting a distinct foul smell, Rafflesia is one of Malaysia’s proudest biodiversity icons. But beyond the admiration lies an uncomfortable truth, this flower is under serious threat. Not because it’s less important, but because its survival depends on ecological relationships that many of us don’t fully understand or value.

A National Symbol, Silently Fading

Rafflesia is often featured in national promotions, from banknotes to nature exhibitions and science textbooks. It is, without doubt, Rafflesia is a symbol of Malaysia’s rich rainforest heritage. But in reality, most species within the Rafflesia genus are now listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List. This is mainly due to its extreme ecological dependency. Rafflesia has no true leaves, stem, or roots of its own, and it survives by parasitizing the Tetrastigma vine, which itself only grows in specific undisturbed forest environments. 

Rafflesia cannot simply be replanted or relocated. Attempts to cultivate it artificially have largely failed. In-situ conservation, including preserving it in its natural habitat, is currently the only viable method of protection. Unfortunately, the very forests that support Rafflesia are increasingly under pressure due to human activities such as hiking trail development, deforestation,  logging, and unregulated tourism activities. 

Unseen Impact of Human Presence

In forested areas across Malaysia, including the hills near Tanjung Malim, local hiking guides and Orang Asli communities have reported sightings of Rafflesia. Even though the researchers from the Centre for Biodiversity and Ecology Conservation (CeBEC) have documented its presence in these areas, a comprehensive understanding of the actual threats facing Rafflesia in these habitats remains limited. Given that Rafflesia blooms are rare and short-lived, they become sensational attractions when spotted. But without proper guidelines or public education, this fascination may lead to trampling of habitat, cutting of flowers, or accidental destruction. Often, the  visitors do not realize that simple actions such as clearing trails or walking close to the host vines can disturb the fragile ecological balance needed for Rafflesia to bloom.

Science Education Must Connect to Reality

The story of Rafflesia in its habitat teaches us a crucial lesson: science education cannot remain abstract or confined to classrooms or school students. We can no longer separate scientific knowledge from the social, cultural, and environmental realities surrounding us. Concepts like photosynthesis, symbiosis, and biodiversity are not just textbook topics, but they must be experienced, felt, and understood in the real world. With Rafflesia, if we only admire it without truly understanding it, we risk losing it forever. It could one day become just another forgotten symbol, remembered only through faded photographs or old textbooks.

Science education should empower the public to recognize and respond to real issues, such as how national species can silently disappear if we do not change the way we interact with nature. It should encourage curiosity grounded in empathy, where our community learns not only to understand the mechanisms of nature but also their responsibility within it.

Nurturing Understanding Before It’s Too Late

We may not all get the chance to see a blooming Rafflesia in the wild. But as educators, students, parents, or policymakers, we each have a role to play. We can choose to value science not only as a body of knowledge but as a tool to protect what matters most. And what matters now is ensuring that the next generation can still witness the wonder of Rafflesia, not just as a memory, but as a living part of Malaysia’s rainforest.

This article is prepared by Zainun Mustafa, Fatimah Mohamed, Nor Nafizah Mohd Noor, Nurrul Insyirah Mohd Razali dan En. Abdul Rahman bin Kunju Baba from the Centre of Biodiversity and Conservation (CeBEC), Fakulti Sains dan Matematik, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris. The authors acknowledge the Crowder-Messersmith Conservation Fund of Nature Forward for supporting the initiatives towards our small-continous conservation efforts for public understanding and promotion of science education that is grounded in local ecological realities.