What do Singapore, Kew Gardens, the London Zoo and a Giant Flower have in Common?

Sir Stamford Raffles

Well you can read it in all your history books: he is credited to be ‘’the founder’’ of Singapore as a British settlement in 1819. There is even a statue of him at his landing site by the Singapore river:

I know. There would be a lot to say only about that, but it is the other Stamford Raffles I want to talk about today:

*Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles – by George Francis Joseph, 1817* – *National Portrait Gallery, London*

This portrait was painted when Raffles returned to Britain to oversee the publication of his ‘History of Java’ in 1817.

The Buddhist sculptures and the distant landscape allude to his study of the ethnography, ancient civilisation and languages of the region.

London Zoo

But above all, Raffles was a passionate explorer, naturalist, botanist and zoologist.

He became the first President of the Zoological Society of London when he came back for the last time in 1824, and the ZSL itself gave birth to the London Zoo in 1926.

*An historic ticket to ZSL London Zoo, circa 1830’s.*

“Raffles was a product of the Victorian era of exploration and enlightenment. They wanted to understand the natural world. It was not unusual. (William) Farquhar did it and so did others. Some of these people were quite gifted in their ability to explore, catalogue and understand the flora and fauna of the lands they visited. They hired local workers to help them put together a collection and local artists to paint the specimens.”
Dr Kevin Tan, Historian, Past President of the Singapore Heritage Society.

During his years in Southeast Asia, he explored the territories extensively and described several animals and plants, particularly those found on the Indonesian island of Sumatra.

Among the remarkable creatures he encountered were:

the Crab-eating Macaque (Macaca fascicularis),
the Moonrat (Echinosorex gymnurus),

*The Moonrat (Echinosorex gymnura) is a large Southeast Asian insectivore that is essentially a tropical hedgehog with a long tail and fur instead of spines.*

The Siamang (Hylobates syndactylus), a kind of Gibbon,
The Malayan Sun Bear (Ursus malayanus),
The Malayan Night Heron (Gorsachius melanolophus),
The Raffles’ Malkoha (Phaenicophaeus chlorophaeus),

*Raffles Malkoha, from Drawings of Birds from Malacca, c.1805-18 (wc on paper)*

The Barred Eagle Owl (Bubo sumatranus),
The White-crowned Hornbill (Berenicornis comatus), and
The Mangrove Blue Flycatcher (Cyornis rufigastra).

A Petting Zoo in Penang

During his residence in Penang and Malacca (in now Malaysia) from 1805 to 1811, Raffles also kept a selection of exotic animals as pets, some of which lived within his home.

These included a siamang, two orangutans, a tiger, a sun bear, and various other animals, several of which were gifts from local rulers hailing from Malaya, Java and Sumatra.

Among his assortment of pets, Raffles had a particular favourite. While serving as the Governor-General of Bencoolen (now Bengkulu, Indonesia), he cherished a Malayan Sun Bear (He described and gave its name to this species: Helarctos Malayanus).

The Malaysian bear is the smallest bear species in the world and is known for the length of its tongue (the longest in bears) ideal for insinuating into the depths of the hives to harvest honey. Photo credit: Chiew Lin May at the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre

This bear was lovingly raised alongside his children and even enjoyed a special place at the family table. Surprisingly, historical records suggest that this Sun Bear developed a penchant for champagne…

But Raffles did not only study and collect Fauna, but he also left an indelible mark on the world of plant exploration.

Rafflesia Arnoldii

He is the man behind the name of the Rafflesia, a fascinating parasitic plant:

The flower, associating the names of Raffles and Dr Joseph Arnold, was discovered during an expedition to the southeast of Bencoolen.

“the wonder of the vegetable kingdom… perhaps the largest and most magnificent flower in the world… its dimensions will astonish you...”
Raffles, describing the Rafflesia Arnoldii, in a letter to the Duchess of Somerset

In the world of botany, few plants have stirred as much intrigue and curiosity among scientists. Native to the dense jungles of Southeast Asia (Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand), Rafflesia is a parasite with a fascinating life cycle:

For most of its existence, Rafflesia remains hidden from sight, operating as a complex network of thread-like filaments that infiltrate its host vine. It lies in wait, then, at unpredictable intervals, a cabbage-like bud emerges, breaking through the vine’s bark, and slowly unfurls into a colossal, five-lobed flower that can span up to one meter in diameter.

But it’s not just the size of the Rafflesia flower that makes it so special; it’s the scent it emits: a foul scent reminiscent of rotting meat. This peculiar fragrance serves a very specific purpose: It is an ingenious ploy to attract the carrion flies it needs to be pollinated, thus earning Rafflesia its alternative name, the ‘corpse flower.’

Raffles was proud of his role in the plant’s discovery, and in 1826, he commissioned Weddell, a renowned firm of botanical engravers, to make this print.

Left, Above: Reproduction of hand-coloured engraving, with the inscription “Rafflesia Arnoldi”, 1826 – Left, Below: Specimen of dried Putat Laut (Barringtonia asiatica); Sea Poison Tree; Right: Reproduction of watercolour painting of the Nepenthes Rafflesiana by Marianne North. – *Raffles Institution, Singapore*

Nepenthes Rafflesiana

In a letter from Singapore dated 10^th June 1819, Raffles mentions another new botanical discovery he had just made:

“We have recently discovered at this place some very beautiful species of the Nepenthes or Pitcher Plant, which in elegance and brilliance far surpass anything I have yet seen in this quarter – the plant is very remarkable, and though the genus has been generally described, little is known of the different species.”

He also gave his name to this plant: Nepenthes Rafflesiana

*Nepenthes rafflesiana, or Raffles’ pitcher-plant, is a species of tropical pitcher plant. It has a very wide distribution covering Borneo, Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia, and Singapore*

Kew Gardens

Nepenthes Rafflesiana, one of the most ornamental of the genus, was originally introduced into Kew Gardens from Singapore in 1845

Kew Gardens, also known as the Royal Botanic Gardens, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in London.

It was founded in 1759 and is renowned for its stunning collection of diverse plant species and scientific research, making it a globally significant center for botanical conservation and education. Click here to prepare your visit.

You can see Nepenthes Rafflesiana in 2 different places at Kew:

Either ‘live’, with the other carnivorous plants in the Princess of Wales conservatory:

*Princess of Wales Conservatory, Carnivorous plants – Royal Botanic Gardens Kew*

It is also depicted among hundreds of other species in the Marianne North gallery.

The Marianne North Gallery is a unique and meticulously preserved Victorian-era structure within Kew Gardens, showcasing the extraordinary botanical artworks of Marianne North, a pioneering 19th-century artist who traveled the world and painted a stunning collection of over 800 plant portraits, providing visitors with a captivating visual journey through the planet’s diverse flora.