TAIPING: Another century-old Samanea saman tree, affectionately known as “Hujan-hujan,” has died in Taiping Lake Gardens.
According to reports, the 137-year-old renowned tree fell on the road yesterday night as a result of heavy winds and thunderstorms.
When contacted today, a spokeswoman for the Taiping Municipal Council (MPT) confirmed the incident.
He stated that five hujan-hujan trees had fallen on the road between last year and February of this year.
“We are awaiting a professional arborist’s report on the cause,” he added, adding that MPT will publish a statement once the formal report from the certified arborist is received.
Last year, the council was reported to have formally tagged 113 Hujan-hujan trees in the park and maintained over 1,300 different varieties of trees with the assistance of arborists and experts from the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM).
Last October, one of the Hujan-hujan trees was officially pronounced “dead” due to weak structural and anchor roots.
The tree near the Taman Tasik Taiping jetty had already collapsed owing to heavy rain on January 20, 2018.
Previously utilised as a mining site, Taiping Lake Gardens was established in 1880 during British rule in the country and is totally administered by the council.
