Calophyllum lanigerum var austrocoriaceum is an exceedingly rare member of the mangosteen family. The first samples of the tree was collected in 1987 in Sarawak, Malaysia on the island of Borneo by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Calanolide A was extracted from the twigs and leaves of the tree Calanolide A is an inhibitor against HIV-1 and also other several resistant forms of this virus. This compound is also found to be compatible and effective for usage together with other anti-HIV drugs such as AZT and Nevirapine. Researchers were so pleased that Calanolide A existed and this was a milestone to AIDS research.

When researchers returned to the original kerangas forest, wanting to gather more specimens of the plant for further researcher, it was shocking to find that the tree was gone. It turned out that the trees was chopped down, along with other parts of the forest by the locals for fuel wood and other purposes. This resulted in a frenzy search for the tree by botanists.

Thankfully, the Singapore Botanic Gardens houses several of these plants that were collected by the British more than 100 years ago. Shortly, Sarawak actually banned the exporting of Calophyllum thereafter.

The story mentioned above should serve as a reminder to all of us humans about the serious consequence that our behavior can bring about. When we clear forests, we only thought about all the benefits we can reap from chopping down those trees but fail to consider the many more damages we cause to the nature and other living things which this common space with us on Earth. Only when we had to deal with the repercussion directly, such as the chance of losing this species of tree, which has the opportunity to cure us of an incurable disease, forever then we are start to panic. Through this experience, we should slow down and think before we do anything destructive to the environment because at this moment, we are already experiencing the indirect consequences of our actions.