The Strangler Fig is parasitic and starts its life as a seed that has lodged in a fork or a branch of its host tree, high in the canopy of the rain forest. The small tree sends out aerial roots which head for the ground where they take root and begin the process of strangling the host tree.
As the host tree eventually dies and rots away, the hollow centre of the Strangler is full of spaces that provide shelter and breeding sites for bats, birds, and other animals. They also provide food to a wide variety of animals.
