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)