Three Indonesian Researchers Participate in the Discovery of Rafflesia Hasseltii, Names Not Mentioned by University of Oxford

Joko Witono, also known as Dr. Joko Ridho Witono, M.Sc., from BRIN, was involved in the discovery of Rafflesia Hasseltii. Septian Andriki, a conservation activist, was emotional when the plant was found, a former elementary school sports teacher. Iswandi, a member of the Forest Management Agency of Nagari Sumpur Kudus, a local with knowledge of the Sumatran rainforest. A rare plant, Rafflesia Hasseltii, was found in the Sumatran rainforest, specifically in Hiring Batang Somi, Sumpur Kudus, Sijunjung, West Sumatra, on Wednesday night, November 19, 2025. The public was moved by the video of the discovery circulating on social media. One researcher was particularly emotional, crying after a 13-year wait to find this plant. The discovery was made by a team of four, including Dr. Chris Thorogood from the University of Oxford, and three Indonesian researchers. However, the names of the Indonesian researchers were not mentioned in the University of Oxford’s research publication.