'PERSPIRING" RAMBUTAN TREE BEWITCHED VILLAGERS

KOTA KINABALU: The residents of Papar and its vicinity were of late bewitched by a strange phenomenon created by a rambutan tree in Kampung Brunei, some 13km from Papar town.Apparently, this rambutan tree was found to be “perspiring” at night usually at around 7pm and would last till 5am, creating a strange ‘drizzling’ phenomenon amidst the persisting drought.Since news of this strange phenomenon broke out, residents have started to make ‘pilgrimage’ to the tree which some people now considered as ‘sacred’.This was reported in the local Chinese daily, the Asia Times on Friday.

According to Idris, the owner of the 30-year-old rambutan tree, the phenomenon was discovered about a week ago, adding that this was the first time he had come across it. But unlike when it first started, the intensity of perspirations had reduced significantly. However, a search carried out by this reporter on the Internet discovered that such occurrence could be a natural phenomenon.

According to the American Forests Institute, on a hot summer day a single large tree “perspires” about 7 tons of water. And the resulting evaporation of that much of moisture is equal to 10 room air conditioners running for 20 hours. This explains why it’s always so pleasantly cool when one walks through a wooded area. Meanwhile, Sabah Parks Assistant Director, Dr Jamilis Nais in his response to the story posted on the Facebook, said this could be contributed by the cicadas.

“The month of March and April is like a ‘mini spring time’ in Sabah, many trees produce new young shoots and leafs. These young leafs provide food for cicadas (riang-riang), their larvae come out from underground and the young cicadas (in the hundreds or even thousands) rain urine, especially at night. This could be it,” he said.

SUMBER: NEW SABAH TIMES