Karnataka to have Butterfly Park

Bangalore, August 13: Nature's most colourful species in all its various hues will be soon be on display in the country's first butterflty park coming up in Bannerghatta Biological Park here.

The over-Rs-3 crore project, spread over 10,000 sqm, will have 50 species of butterfly, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Bannerghatta Biological Park, Markandeya said.

Butterflies, considered to be flagship species of lesser taxa, has remained neglected in India. "The park is the first effort of its kind to create facilities for research and education of this neglected species", he said.

Study of breeding of butterflies will be the prime focus of the project so that strategies can be proposed to protect several species of them from local, if not global extinction, he said.

The project will comprise three domes made out of polypropylene and supported by high quality steel and aluminium trusses. "The quality control of the entire construction has been done by Torsteel India", Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wild Life) and Chief Wild Life Warden, A K Verma said.

The first two domes will be the display area while the third will be utilised as an interpretation centre where audio visuals will be shown to the public. The project will also have a lab where butterflies will be reared, he said.

"It is these reared butterflies which will be displayed on the host plants and in open vegetation", Verma said.

"Since all the 50 varieties of butterfly cannot be bred inhouse, local farmers will be encouraged to rear and supply them to us," he said.

The park will thus not only create employment opportunities for local people for butterfly farming but also provide liaison with other intitutions and agencies interested in farmed butterflies, he said.

The project is funded by a contribution from department of Biotechnology, India, with support contribution from government of Karnataka.

University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS) Bangalore will provide the input while Ashoka Trust for Research in Environment and Ecology, a Bangalore-based NGO, will take up education and extension work, Verma added. (Agencies)

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