Butterfly Park to be inaugurated today

Staff Reporter

The park has been established with a grant of Rs. 5 crore

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It is spread over 7.5 acres in Bannerghatta Biological Park It comprises butterfly rearing house, museum and host plant garden Bangalore: The country's first Butterfly Park that has been established at the Bannerghatta Biological Park will be inaugurated on Saturday by Union Minister of Science and Technology Kapil Sibal. Speaking to presspersons here on Friday, Chandrashekara, head of Department of Entomology, University of Agriculture Sciences, Bangalore, said the park had been established with a Rs. 5 crore grant from the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India and the State Government. The collaborative agencies are the Zoo Authority of Karnataka, University of Agricultural Sciences and the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment (ATREE). The Bannerghatta Biological Park was an ideal location for the Butterfly Park because of the presence of natural vegetation and varied habitats. The biological park supported at least 100 species of butterflies. "After studying all the pros and cons of the project, the National Bio-Resource Development Board, Department of BT, GoI, decided to promote a greater awareness, appreciation among the public and facilitate the conservation of butterflies," Dr. Chandrashekara said. It would serve as an active centre for environmental education, research and conservation. Tropical setting The Butterfly Park is spread across 7.5 acres of land. It comprises a butterfly conservatory, museum and an audio-visual room. The butterfly conservatory has a polycarbonate roof and is a 10,000 sq.ft. circular enclosure, inside which the living environment has been carefully designed to support over 20 species of butterflies. The environment has a tropical setting — complete with the humid climate, an artificial waterfall and host plants and shrubs that attract butterflies. The conservatory leads into the second and third domes, which have a museum that will have dioramas and exhibits. The park also encompasses a butterfly rearing house, plant rearing house and host plant garden.

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