Butterfly park chosen for study by Japanese firm
Even as the government and Tourism Department have been trying to conserve the butterfly park situated at the foothills of the Western Ghats in Thumburmuzhi near Chalakudy river, a Japan-based institute, National Institute of Agro-biological Sciences, a major research institute that focus on basic life sciences, has selected the butterfly park here to conduct a detailed study on the butterflies in India.
The park is home to over 180 species of colourful winged insects. As part of this, Inoue Thakashi, senior scientist from the institute visited Thumboormuzhi the other day.
District tourism executive officer Manish Sebastian, who accompanied the scientists said that the institute has selected Thumburmuzhi in order to study the behavioural pattern of butterflies, food habit, swallowtail butterflies and host-plants among other things.
“Thakashi has been visiting the butterfly parks across the country for the past few years with this purpose. After his visit, he also assured us technical guidance and help to increase the density of butterflies in the park by planting special host plants,” he said. The butterfly garden spread over 10 acres of
land near the Athirapilly waterfall, is attracting hundreds of butterfly enthusiasts every day by providing a panoramic view of the lush green cover of the rain forest situated on either sides of the falls and garden.
Earlier, scientists had spotted Papilio Buddha and Moonlight butterfly, which are endangered species, along with thousands of colourful winged insects living in the sanctuary located amid lush green and falls.
Selecting the Thumburmuzhi butterfly garden as a research station is a great blessing for us as it would draw more attention of the international butterfly enthusiasts and other research institutes, Sebastian said.