The endemic orchid of Mount Semeru in endangered status

The slippers orchid (or anggrek selop) is the East Java endemic orchid that grows in the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park (Taman Nasional Bromo Tengger Semeru / TNBTS), currently threatened with extinction due to hunting. The mascot of the Purwodadi Botanical Gardens (Kebun Raya Purwodadi) in Pasuruan is protected and trade prohibited in any form.

Paphiopedillum glaucophyllum 
aka the slippers orchid. (Picture from: 
http://anggrek-ist.blogspot.com/)

"Now slippers orchids growing rare due to orchids hunting by a group of people.  Illegal logging activities also destroy the habitat of orchids," said Toni Artaka, a forest ecosystem control officer at National Park Management Section, Region III Senduro TNBTS, told Tempo on June 12, 2013. The slippers orchids hunted because of its unique (like Nepenthes or female footwear) and easily taken by the hunters because it grows above ground.

According to Toni, the orchid that have scientific named "Paphiopedilum glaucophyllum" was also known as the bag orchid or the furry shoes orchid. Most slippers orchids spread on the south side of Mount Semeru. Now the slippers orchids only be found on the high cliffs that are difficult to reach by the orchid hunters.

Now the slippers orchid became the protected orchids from the extinction threat. And the slippers orchids included in the list of Appendix 1 of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) so it should not be traded in any form.

The map of the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park. (Picture from: http://www.indonesiatraveling.com/)

The slippers orchids are also included in the list of 29 species of orchids that are protected by Indonesian Government Regulation (Peraturan Pemerintah)  No. 7 / 1999. And on January 27, 2009, the slippers orchids also included as the orchids that prioritized for conservation by the Bogor Botanical Gardens (Kebun Raya Bogor).

Based on the inventory results that conducted by the Main Station (Balai Besar) of TNBTS, in the conservation area there are 200 species of orchid family (Orchidaceae). Which includes 40 species of rare orchids, three species of the rare Java endemic orchids, as well as 15 species to East Java endemic.

At this time the frequency of plant theft in the TNBTS area are much reduced. According Yohannes Cahyo, Head of Ranupani resort at the Main Station of TNBTS, the last recorded cases of theft occurred in August 2011. The TNBTS officers arrested a number of timber thieves, medicinal plants thieves, and mountain pine charcoal makers.

Inadequate number of the forest ranger personnels that complicate efforts to protect the region. There are only 45 forest rangers to keep the national park has an area of ​​50.276 hectares and spread over four counties in the region, namely Lumajang, Malang, Pasuruan, and Probolinggo.

According Destario Metusala aka Rio, an orchids researcher at the Purwodadi Botanical Gardens, to preserve the slippers orchid, the botanical garden have done naturally cultivation reproduction without genetic engineering as the source of germplasm. Now  the Purwodadi Botanical Gardens has a collection of as many as 512 species of natural orchids. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | ABDI PURMONO | KORAN TEMPO 4256]

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