After 13 years of searching, biologist finds super rare “corpse flower” bloom right before his eyes; gets emotional

A Flower Seen More by Tigers Than Humans: Biologist Finds Rarest “Corpse Flower” After 13 Years of Searching

In the dense, tiger-patrolled rainforests of Sumatra, a biologist’s 13-year search for one of the world’s rarest plants finally ended in an emotional, once-in-a-lifetime moment.

Dr. Chris Thorogood of the University of Oxford’s Botanic Garden and Arboretum, along with field expert Septian Andriki, trekked day and night through some of Indonesia’s most remote jungle terrain to find Rafflesia hasseltii, a flower so elusive that locals say tigers see it more often than people do.

Their journey, shared in a now-viral Instagram post, shows the exact moment the massive bloom opened right in front of them. After more than a decade of searching for the species, Thorogood can be seen overcome with emotion as the petals slowly unfurl in the darkness of the forest.

Watch the video here

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A Flower That Exists Like a Ghost

The Rafflesia hasseltii, part of the bizarre “corpse flower” family, is famous for its enormous reddish bloom and pungent scent. But what makes it almost mythical is its unpredictability: it grows hidden beneath the forest floor for months, and when it finally blooms, it does so for just a few days before collapsing.

Catching it at the exact moment it opens is considered nearly impossible.

13 Years of Searching, Seconds of Magic

Thorogood has spent more than a decade trying to document this species blooming in the wild. The team tracked clues, scouted remote patches of rainforest, and pushed through terrain where tiger presence is a daily reality.

Then — against all odds — it happened.

Under the cover of night, the flower began to open. The team’s cameras captured the petals unfolding, revealing its enormous, otherworldly structure. Thorogood stood frozen, visibly emotional, whispering in disbelief as years of fieldwork culminated in a few miraculous minutes.

Why This Bloom Matters

Rafflesia species are among the most endangered plants in the world. Many are on the brink of disappearing due to habitat loss and their extremely fragile lifecycles. Documenting a bloom is not just rare, it's crucial for understanding how to protect them.

For Thorogood and Andriki, the moment was more than a scientific milestone. It was the emotional release of a 13-year pursuit through some of the toughest wilderness on Earth.