Butterfly Conservatory at Srirangam attracted over two lakh visitors last year

Serving arsenic a location for antithetic butterfly and vertebrate species, the Tropical Butterfly Conservatory sandwiched betwixt the Cauvery and the Kollidam stream astatine Srirangam has go 1 of the large leisure attraction successful the territory attracting visitors from antithetic places.

Established by the Forest Department with a big of facilities aimed astatine conserving butterfly species, the 25-acre conservatory, the largest successful Asia, attracted astir 2.6 lakh visitors past year.  Ever since the conservatory surrounded by greenery with big and nectar plants raised wrong was thrown unfastened successful November 2015, determination has been a dependable summation successful butterfly species. Presently, the conservatory houses 131 butterfly species, 119 vertebrate taxon and much than 450 works species.

The butterfly taxon recorded wrong the conservatory see Southern Birdwing, Blue Mormon, Yellow Orange Tip, Dark Wanderer, Redspot, Bamboo Treebrown, Monkey Puzzle, African Marbled Skipper and Grass Demon.  The greenish situation wrong the conservatory has attracted antithetic vertebrate species, including Spotted Dove, Asian Openbill, Coppersmith Barbet, Blue-faced Malkoha, White-throated Kingfisher and Black-rumped Flameback, said a Forest Department official.

The Forest Department has been raising big plants indispensable for butterfly sustenance, nectar plants and ornamental flora designed to captivate visitors. The authoritative said sprinklers person been enactment up covering each areas wrong the sprawling conservatory to prevention the plants from withering, particularly during the ongoing summertime season. 

The authoritative said the crushed for butterfly taxon from different regions migrating to the conservatory was that a ample fig of nectar plants had been planted and maintained.  Butterflies besides play a important relation successful the nutrient concatenation and thrive exclusively successful environments which are clean, lush greenish and escaped from pollution, the authoritative said. 

The conservatory features an array of facilities including an indoor conservatory, a breeding lab, mud-puddling areas, ‘Nakshatra Vanam’, ‘Rasi Vanam’, an Amphitheatre, Interpretation centre, a butterfly - shaped island and a upwind station. Various recreational facilities person been created wrong the conservatory specified arsenic children’s park, boating installation and artillery operated cars to pull visitors.

The conservatory gets a footfall of astir 500 to 600 visitors connected an mean regular with the fig exceeding 1,000 connected holidays and during summertime seaon.  The authoritative further said the conservatory had attracted till day astir 22 lakh visitors ever since it was thrown unfastened successful 2015.