7 July 2020 (Tuesday) – The ‘crown shyness’ phenomenon formed at the crowns of kapur trees (Dryobalanops aromatica) seems almost like the trees are practising social distancing.

The jigsaw-puzzle-in-the-sky-like formation is one of the most famous attractions at the Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) campus, Kepong. The phenomenon caught the attention of National Geographic (Nat Geo) and they assigned a professional photographer, Ian Teh, to capture this phenomenon.

Screen shot of the Nat Geo article.	Teh (left) and FRIM Media Officer Lim Chung Lu finding various photographic angles at the location.

The picture taken by Teh on 16 June was published on Nat Geo website for an article entitled, “Some trees may ‘social distance’ to avoid disease”. Click on this link to view the full article: tinyurl.com/NatGeoFRIM-crownshyness.

Kapur has a straight cylindrical trunk and can reach a height of 60 m. The trunk is supported by a buttress that sometimes reaches several metres tall.

One of the special features of kapur tree is its peeling bark that sometimes resembles scrolls of paper being peeled from the trunk. The aborigines used the bark of kapur to make the walls of their huts and to weave baskets.