Lost For 188 Years: Rare Blueberry Rediscovered!

Added: 2026-06-01

[00:00:10]For 188 years India thought it had lost a wild blueberry forever, but now deep inside Arunachal Pradesh's forests scientists have rediscovered Vaccinium polyphylla, a rare endangered wild relative of the blueberry that was last recorded in [music] 1836. And here's what makes this discovery incredible.

[00:00:27]Only 16 plants were found near the Noa Dihing River in Arunachal's Eastern Himalayan region, making it one of India's rarest botanical rediscoveries.

[00:00:36]But this isn't just about a fruit. Wild blueberry species like this are extremely important for the future of agriculture because they carry genes linked to climate resilience, disease resistance, and crop improvement. So what's hiding in that one jungle could literally help feed the future. This is not just a rediscovery, it's a second chance. So here's the question, [music] what should India do to better protect its hidden biodiversity treasures?

[00:00:59]Comment below.