Chris Thorogood had to venture deep into the Luzon rainforest to set eyes on the extraordinary Rafflesia banaoana
The Rafflesia banaoana flower, in the Luzon rainforest.Last modified on Sun 27 Mar 2022 22.09 BST
“It’s hard to put into words the feeling,” he said on Sunday. “It’s a combination of the exertion of the trek, which is quite intense, but also a feeling of sharing a moment with something ephemeral, rare, and a striking work of nature that you can’t see anywhere else. It’s a bit of a tear-jerker to sit with something like that.”
By the time they reached the Rafflesia, Thorogood’s arms were covered in blood from leeches and he nursed a plant sting that “felt like someone poured boiling water” on his skin. “It’s almost like they were a magnet from the other side of the globe luring me to go and see them. I remember quite clearly as a child being entranced by these photographs in books of these otherworldly botanical enigmas. I think I subconsciously made my plans then that I was going to make it my life’s work to go and see them.”
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