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Tamil Nadu's Tropical Butterfly Conservatory, which is home to around 129 butterfly species and spreads across 25 acres, is Asia's largest butterfly conservatory located in the Upper Anaicut Reserve Forest area between the Cauvery and Kollidam rivers drainage basins.
District Forest Officer of Trichy, Krithiga Seenuvasan, says that butterflies are important for the ecosystem, and the Tamil Nadu Forest Department established the Tropical Butterfly Conservatory in the Srirangam region. Speaking to ANI, Krithiga Seenuvasan said, "Butterflies are very important for the health of the ecosystem, to conserve biodiversity and to sustain the entire life on earth. So with this view, the Tamil Nadu Forest Department established the Tropical Butterfly Conservatory in 25 acres, the largest in Asia." The officer also shared the vision behind the establishment of the conservatory and said, "This butterfly park was established with the vision to create awareness among the common people about butterfly conservation, and how the life cycle of a butterfly spans out. It also aims to provide a pleasant urban park space for the common people." The conservatory has four main components and elaborating on them, Seenuvasan shared, "This butterfly park has four components; we have an outdoor conservatory, an indoor conservatory, a 'Nakshatra Vanam' and a 'Rasi Vanam'. The outdoor conservatory mimics the natural scene of butterflies, and the indoor conservatory is a climate-controlled butterfly conservatory." The forest officer also informed that junior researchers carry out a survey of the conservatory on a daily basis. "We have identified around 129 species of butterflies and 300 plant species till now, mostly host and nectar plants." Some other attractive spots in the butterfly conservatory include fountains, artificial ponds, kids' play area, eco shops, and an amphitheatre, Seenuvasan said. (ANI)
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