To promote people's
awareness of the importance of the environment, on 9
January 1993, President Soeharto declared that 5 November
be the date to celebrate Indonesia's National Love Flora
and Fauna Day. Previously, in his letter of 2 June 1990,
No. 522.5/1458/SJ, the Minister of Home Affairs decreed
that different flora and fauna be chosen to identify each
province in Indonesia.
Since 1993, in observance of the National Love Flora and
Fauna Day, a series of stamps has been issued every year
on 5 November depicting flora and fauna from the
provinces of Indonesia. In year 1996 the series
represents the flora and fauna of the Provinces of Bengkulu,
Central Java, Bali, East Kalimantan and
South Sulawesi. |
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BENGKULU
- Giant Aroid Lily
(Amorphophallus Titanum)
This rare plant flowers only once every three
years. Its giant flowering spike grows raidly to
a height of two metres. The tallest bloom
recorded for the species is 3,3 metres. The
flower gives off a foul stench that attracts
flies and beetles. This impressive Amorphophallus
was first found in Western Sumatra by the Italian
explorer-naturalist Odoardo Beccari in the 1880s,
sixty years after Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles and
Dr. Joseph Arnold discovered Rafflesia Arnoldi in
the same region.
- Sun Bear (Helarctos
Malayanus)
Is the only bear living in Indonesia and the
smallest of the world's bears. It is found in
forests from Burma and Thailand through to
Kalimantan and Sumatra. It has black fur with a
distinctive white triangle, marking "V"
on its chest. Although its body is relatively
small, 1,10 to 1,40 m in length and 22 to 65 kg
in weight, the Sun Bear is among the most feared
of the forest animals. Since this bear is short-sighted,
it may suddenly come across a person at very
close quarters and be startled. When surprised,
it will rise up on its hind legs and slash out in
a panic with its vicious, long, sharp claws. Even
the cubs can be dangerous, the Sun Bear is an
omnivore; it eats fruit, succulent buds, insects
and other invertebrates. But above all, it loves
honey. It can climb tall trees to reach bees,
nests and feasts on the sweet contents.
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CENTRAL JAVA
- Michelia (Michelia
Alba)
Has been known for a long time by the local
people and used for various purposes, such as
magic, ritual, religious as well as common
ceremonies. The plant come from India and is
presumed to have entered Indonesia in the 6th~7th
century, the time when Hinduism came into the
country. The plants are scattered in Sumatra,
Java, Bali, Nusa Tenggara and Maluku. Every place
has its own name for the plant, such as Jeumpa
Gadeng (Aceh), Campaka Putiah (West Sumatra),
Campala (Madura), Campaka Bodas (West Java),
Campala Mariri (Minahasa), Bunga Eja (Makassar),
Kupa Hanya (Seram), and nationally it's known as
Cempaka Putih (White Champac). The plant can grow
to 30~40 m high with a trunk of 1,5 m in diameter.
It has a dense oval crown of dark shiny leaves.
The plant flowers the whole year, mostly in rainy
season.
- Golden Orioles (Orioles
Chinensis)
Are found in several places in Indonesia. This
bird has golden yellow feathers and black stripes
around the eyes and neck. The black stripes also
decorate its wings and tail. Its beak and legs
are pink. This symbol of Central Java eats small
fruits and insects.
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BALI
- Majegau (Dysoxylum
Densiflorum)
Bali is wellknown for its wood carving. One of
the woods used by Balinese artists for carving is
Majegau. This wood is hard, beautiful-colored and
resistant to water or soil. Considering its role
in the life of the Balinese symbol. Accordingly,
efforts have been carried out to perserve and
plant the wood to avoid extention due to the
opening of forest for occupation.
- Bali Starling (Leucpsar
Rothschildi)
This rare starling is unique to Bali. It is the
only species of bird endemic to Bali and one of
the most critically threatened birds in Indonesia.
Nowadays the bird can only be found in Bali Barat
National Park. Its population is only about 20~30,
but in 1984 there were 254 birds. Starling ore
singing birds, have slender beaks, white feathers
with long crests, bare blue skin around the eyes
and black tips to the wings and tail. When they
sing, their crests rise and resemble thorns.
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EAST KALIMANTAN
- Black Orchid (Coelogyne
Panduratalindi)
Indonesia is widely known for its numerous
orchids. However the Black Orchid (Coelogyne
Panduratalindi) of East Kalimantan Province is
extremely rare. The orchid has pale green flowers
with black dots in the middle. It has a flattened
pseudobulb and each pseudobulb has two wide long
leaves. The black orchid grows on shrubs and
blossoms between April and December. In addition
to its rareness, the flower doesn't last long.
- Dolphin (Orcaella
Brevirostris)
Mainly live in the sea and only a few species
live in the river. One of the river species is
the Pesut Mahakam or Mahakam
Freshwater Dolphin (Orcaella
Brevirostris) also known as the Irrawady Dolphin,
and is found in the Mahakam River, hundreds of
kilometers from the sea. Different from other
dolphins whose heads have bottlenosed shape, the
Pesut has a bulbous head. It grows to about 2
metres long and 100 kg in weight. Living in
heavily silted water, it doesn't rely on its tiny
eyes to detect and avoid obstacles. Instead, it
uses sonar echolocations to move through the
muddy, sediment filled water. It is becomes the
symbol of East Kalimantan because of its
uniqueness.
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SOUTH SULAWESI
- Lontar Palm (Borassus
Flabellifer)
Has a prominent place in Indonesian history
because old manuscripts of ancient Indonesia were
written on lontar leaves, until the Portuguese
introduced paper to the region. Nowadays, the
lontar plant has many uses, including a source of
sugar which is obtained by cutting and bruising
the big flower stalk. The fruits are like small
black coconuts with sweet flesh inside. It is
conspicuous by its crown of blue-green fan-shaped
leaves. This palm can be found throughout South-east
Asia, Africa, India, Indochina and Australia. In
Indonesia it grows mainly in The Lesser Sundas,
but it is South Sulawesi Province who adopts the
plant for its symbol.
- Sulawesi Hornbill
(Rhyticeros Cassidix)
Of 13 species of hornbills found in Indonesia,
two live in Sulawesi. Of these two the brightly
colored red-knobbed Sulawesi Hornbill is the
larger one. It has a yellow neck and beak with
green bare skin on its gizzard. The feathers are
black but the tail is white. This Hornbill lays
her eggs in a nesthole in a hollow tree. The bird
is also known locally as burung tahun (the year
bird) because the numbers of ridges on its beak
are said to correspond to its age.
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These 5 flora and fauna
are featured in the stamp series completing the serial of
Indonesian flora and fauna stamps. Along with the stamps,
two souvenir sheets and two first day covers and ten
maximum cards are also issued. Flora and fauna from other
provinces are scheduled to be featured on the stamp
series of the same theme on the same date next year. |
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