A number of large baobab trees have unfortunately died in such a short time and the famous Sunland Baobab tree is one of them.
The over 1000-year-old tree, from South Africa’s Limpopo province, once grew so large and so strong that people had to build a pub inside the tree’s hollow trunk.
Credit has often been given to a family, known as the Van Heerden, who owned the property on which the baobab tree was.
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The Sunland Baobab Tree — Pinterest
They decided, in 1993, to form a bar inside of the tree after being highly moved by its features, particularly, the size of its hollow.
At 72 feet tall and 155 wide, the inside of the trunk of the millennium tree has been naturally hollowed over the years of its existence and has created enough space for a bar with a 13-foot high ceiling to fit in.
Records say that a railway sleeper pub was first constructed, as well as, a draft beer, a seat, and music systems.
The bar inside the baobab tree — VinePair
A wine cellar was subsequently installed in the second hollow, while a door was also placed in a squared natural vent in the trunk.
Over the years, the tree also hosted visitors, overnighters, and weddings, with one party reaching 60 people, according to the Big Baobab website.
For two decades, the Sunland baobab attracted tourists who would want to take a pint in the tree.
Tourists at the site of the tree — inhabitat.com
However, in August 2016, it was reported that one of the monster stems forming the interior wall of the tree cracked and collapsed.
People blamed the bar inside, but the owners wrote on YouTube that the breakage was due to heavy rainfall.
Then, on April 13, 2017, at 4 a.m., the premium tree bar all came crashing down, bringing an end to its life.
The millennium tree has now lost about five of its giant stems, leaving only half of the tree standing.
The Sunland Big Baobab Tree in ruins — Braai Brothers
Though some have blamed human factors for this, scientists believe that it is due to climate change, and have further argued that the tree’s collapse is part of an unfortunate trend that has seen a high percentage of the oldest, largest baobabs in Africa having died within the last 12 years.
