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If you've ever wondered what a real-life Pokémon might look like, someone may have just found one in Cameron Highlands
A man recently shared photos of a blooming Rafflesia flower in Cameron Highlands that looked strikingly similar to Vileplume, the iconic Grass/Poison flower Pokémon from the Pokémon series.
The photos were shared by Adam Vincent, a PhD student from Universiti Malaya, during a relaxing getaway to Cameron Highlands on 30 April.
Speaking to SAYS, Adam shared that he did not travel there specifically to hunt for the rare plant.
"The main reason I went was to relax and to escape the heat from KL," he said.
However, during the trip, a local friend and guide brought him to see the Rafflesia in Gunung Tangga
He told SAYS that he got to witness the flower at different stages of its life cycle, from a seed bud to full bloom and even decay.
According to Adam, the freshly bloomed flower beside him did not have the famously awful smell many people associate with the Rafflesia.
"The one next to me was very fresh and newly opened, so I didn't smell any pungent, rotten odour, but rather a faint plant scent," he explained.
However, he added that older flowers that had been open for around six days already carried a slightly rotten smell.
Adam even placed a RM10 note next to the flower to compare the real-life Rafflesia with the illustration printed on the banknote.
Native to Southeast Asia, Rafflesia is known as the world's largest individual flower and is famous for its massive petals and corpse-like scent, which helps attract insects for pollination
Some commenters pointed out that it is incredibly rare to spot a Rafflesia in full bloom, as the flower typically only lasts between four and seven days before rotting.
What a beautiful and rare sight in our own backyard!
