Tamil Nadu’s Tropical Butterfly Conservatory, located in the Upper Anaicut Reserve Forest area between the Cauvery and Kollidam rivers drainage basins, is the largest butterfly conservatory in Asia, spreading across 25 acres and housing around 129 butterfly species.
According to District Forest Officer of Trichy, Krithiga Seenuvasan, butterflies play a crucial role in maintaining the ecosystem’s health. The Tamil Nadu Forest Department established the conservatory in the Srirangam region with the aim of conserving biodiversity and sustaining life on earth.
Seenuvasan explained, “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 consists of four main components. Seenuvasan detailed, “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.”
Junior researchers conduct daily surveys of the conservatory, identifying around 129 species of butterflies and 300 plant species, mainly host and nectar plants.
Seenuvasan highlighted some of the attractive features of the conservatory, including fountains, artificial ponds, a kids’ play area, eco shops, and an amphitheatre.