Gift of the Gods

The Forest Research Institute of Malaysia is studying the best way to conserve and rehabilitate the fireflies habitats in Kuala Selangor.

One of nature’s greatest gifts to our visual senses has been the firefly. I remember as a kid when these insects would come out on certain wet evenings and turned the kampong (village) into a magic wonderland. My memories of these wondrous creatures still tingle with ecstatic delights (aesthetic orgasm?).

We humans have a nasty tendency to take for granted things that are so precious and irreplaceable, and which we sometimes so casually erase from the face of the globe without being aware of our unthinking and selfish actions. We need to be mindful of the need for conservation, preserving such wonders of nature for the future generations.

The Institute believes that the Berembang tree (Sonneratia caseolaris or Family Sonneratiaceae) is an important gathering place for the adult fireflies. The firefly, which has a lifespan of only a month, feeds on the nectar of the Berembang tree.

However, the nesting ground for the fireflies and their larvae appears to be the Nipah and Sago plants which usually grow behind the Berembang trees in the mangrove regions.

I have rarely praised Malaysian government departments, but in this case, well done to the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia.

For those who want to visit the fireflies site to witness a magic night, instructions to get there are here.