WAKRO, 26 Sep: Around 20 different butterfly species were identified and recorded during a ‘Butterfly walk & nature trail’ organised to celebrate the Big Butterfly Month at the Kamlang Tiger Reserve here in Lohit district on 24 September.
The butterfly species included the green dragon tail, the spotted sawtooth, the white dragon tail, the common mormon, the common yeoman, the purple sapphire, the commander, the popinjay, the great orange tip, the chocolate albatross, the black prince, the common jester, the elbowed pierrot, the straight pierrot, the tiger hopper, the glassy tiger, the common rose, etc.
“The main goals of the event were to uncover the diversity of undiscovered butterflies, and to expose all participants to a wide audience,” Kamlang Tiger Reserve & Wildlife Sanctuary DFO Jumdo Geiyi said in release.
Students from Apna Vidya Bhavan, Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya, government secondary school, Don Bosco School, and the Arunachal University of Studies, besides PhD students from Rajiv Gandhi University and Shillong (Meghalaya)-based NEHU, along with several others participated in the walk.
Field biologist and the event’s lead planner, Aditya Das, highlighted the value of butterflies and the need for their conservation.
The programme began with a walk up to Champa bridge – one of the hanging bridge locations in the tiger reserve – from Mithun Gate, a bird-watching and butterfly watch viewpoint area. The participants were split into groups and led by subject matter specialists.
Das assisted the participants in correctly identifying and cataloguing the butterflies. He also gave the learners “a comprehensive understanding of the abundant biodiversity and untold treasures that science has yet to uncover,” the release stated.
The students also participated in interactive games like ‘nature bingo’ and nature art installation activities, which were introduced to them by Niranjan Nayak from Art for Nature, and Bethem Marai from NGO AMYAA, based in Lohit district.
The event was organised by the Kamlang Tiger Reserve, in association with the Wiki Loves Butterflies and AMYAA.
