Pesky visitors take off with plants

Pesky visitors take off with plants

BOGOR (JP): The Kebun Raya Garden has its share of pesky
visitors, who think nothing of plucking plants and flowers and
taking them home.

Kebun Raya spokesman Makmun Marzuki said on Wednesday that
local visitors normally pluck the Cycas (palm) plants or
Amorphophallus Variabihis (small rafflesia flower) and carry them
away with them.

"There is a Rp 30,000 fine for this, but when visitors are
caught stealing, they say they can't afford to pay," Makmun
said, adding that about 3,000 people visit the gardens daily.

"School students usually get a 50 percent discount for each
visit here, but once we got a number of elementary schoolchildren
to pay the full ticket fare, when they were caught stealing."

"They told us their teachers told them to take the flowers."

"Local visitors don't feel that these plants belong to them
too. They probably feel that (garden) officers will clear the
mess they have left behind," Makmun said.

"Foreign visitors are different. They go as far as pocketing
cigarette butts and matchsticks until they get hold of a dustbin
in which they dispose of the rubbish." (21/ylt)