Heard of Durian Kura Kura?

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UNIQUE: Durian kura-kura, a unique durian species found only in Kampung Selanyau, Sibuti.

MIRI: ‘Durian Kura Kura’, a medium sized, very rare and wild species of durian, is only found in Kampung Selanyau, Bekenu Sibuti.

Currently there has been no report that other villages in the state have grown the same species.

According to Kampung Selanyau JKKK deputy chairman Johnny Mungkil, only a few residents in the village have planted the durian.

“It is a tourist attraction as visitors from Peninsular Malaysia and overseas come here to get a glimpse of the trees and the fruit,” he said to The Borneo Post yesterday.

He said the villagers who own the ‘durian kura-kura’ trees are Taib Mawang (three trees), Sayah Mawan (two trees), Aspa Yahya (two big trees) and Midah Japar (three trees.)

He disclosed that some of the trees are over 50 years old and the tree is unique because it flowers and bears fruit at the lower portion of the trunk, which makes Kampung Selanyau popular.

He said large clusters of the fruits hang from the tree just above ground level when it bears fruit.

“The fruits are pale yellow to brown in colour and the flesh is yellow,” he said further, claiming that it is different from other durians that bear fruit at the upper part of the trees.

Meanwhile, the flesh is often described as not as sweet as those of other durians.

He said it is stinkier than the common durian and takes quite a bit of getting used to.

No cultivation information is available, although this species occurs wild in the rainforests of Borneo alongside several of its close relatives.