The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : A conservation walk for butterfly lovers

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Apr 27, 2009
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

A conservation walk for butterfly lovers

Motley group does some stock taking and learns a few things about the winged beauties

— PHOTO: NAGARA GOPAL

Nature’s wonders: Children at a photo exhibition organised by Butterfly Conservation Society at Sanjeevaiah Park on Sunday.

HYDERABAD: The park, along the banks of Hussainsagar, is considered to be a safe haven and ideal breeding ground for butterflies . On Sunday morning, apart from scores of walkers, joggers and children, a motley group of butterfly lovers decided to do some stock taking and learn a few things about the winged beauties from experts.

In all, the group managed to record around 25 species of butterflies at Sanjeevaiah Park, where the Butterfly Conservation Society of Hyderabad organised a butterfly walk. The group consisted of engineers, software professionals, architects, doctors, wildlife authorities and retired employees.

Despite hailing from different backgrounds, all of them, though, were animal lovers. They were armed to the teeth for the occasion. Cameras, camcorders, literature on butterfly species and photographs to identify the species to record the findings during the walk, were being used overtime.

Participants had a lot of expectations from the walk. “I came to learn a few tricks about landscaping and designing butterfly gardens from experts here. Learning about the behaviour and preferences would help me to design parks that attract butterflies,” says Harini Reddy, final year architect student of CSI Institute, P. G. Road.

Scorching heat was spoiling the fun, as enthusiasts found it tough to spot butterflies. “The park is ideal for butterflies because of the water body.

Several patches of the park have been left untouched and shrubs were allowed to grow. Yet, since it’s very hot, today the numbers are less,” says former member of A.P. Wildlife Advisory Board S. Ashok Kumar.

In ideal conditions, like winter and monsoons when the moisture content is high, the park has about 40 species of butterflies.

“Such walks help us to spread awareness among youngsters. The numbers of this species are fast dwindling due to habitat destruction and this trend has to change,” says S. Tej Kumar of Butterfly Conservation Society.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Andhra Pradesh