A butterfly hub in the making

Date:28/07/2007
URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/07/28/stories/2007072851580300.htm

Rajahmundry: Maredumilli has been a centre of activity for eco-tourism for last few years. It is going to be hub of butterflies from next month as it is going to host National Convention on Butterfly Conservation. About 60 delegates from different parts of the country are going to take part in the three-day convention, which is going to be held from August 16 to 18.

Asian Wild Life Foundation (AWLF) is going to organize this event, which will give stress on conservation of this species.

Tej Kumar, President, Butterfly Convention Society, is going to participate in the meet and the AWLF is going to bring out a booklet on it. Prabhu Pothireddy, Managing Trustee of AWLF said that it was essential to organise such convention in Eastern Ghats as the butterflies usually flies between Eastern to Western Ghats. “Some of them are endemic and some of them are migrants. We are going to give a call to society to conserve the species and also enlighten local tribal about the conservation of butterflies,” said Prabhu.

Northeastern States are cultivating butterflies in large numbers and selling the species as such. After Myanmar, Bangkok and Thailand, it is now in Manipal, Kohinoor, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh the cultivation of butterflies increased in last few decades.

Dr. Krishnakanth Kunte, author of `Butterflies of Peninsular India’, Krishna Das of Mysore, Vijay Bhate and Asish Pitty of Bird Watch Society are also going to take part in August convention in Maredumilli.

After the convention also we want to make this Maredumilli as hub of butterflies, said Prabhu.

© Copyright 2000 - 2008 The Hindu