Changlang (Arunachal Pradesh) [India], Mar 19 : To conserve the diverse yet rare species of butterflies in Arunachal Pradesh, a four-day-long 'Butterfly Meet ' was recently held in the Namdapha National Park which is situated in the state's Changlang district.
During the meet, as many as 176 butterfly species were documented around the park, which is known to be the largest protected area that falls under the Eastern Himalaya Biodiversity Hotspot.
The event was sponsored by the tourism department and was orgsed by the Society for Education and Environmental Development (SEED), in collaboration with the Namdapha National Park (NNP) and the Miao Explorers.
"We started this meet in 2018-which was the first edition. And this is the third edition. We love photography and we developed an interest in nature and wildlife," said the meet's orgser, Minom Pertin.
The Namdapha Park harbours a rich plethora of flora and fauna and is home to many rare butterfly species including the brown gorgon, yellow gorgon, tailed sulphur and brimstone butterflies.
A student hailing from West Bengal shared that "when we were informed about this butterfly meet, we were not keen to go. But our parents suggested that we should. It is a good experience and we have seen many beautiful butterflies here".
Many butterfly enthusiasts from Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Meghalaya were in attendance at the meet.
According to reports, due to deforestation, the population of butterflies has been dwindling. In a recent survey conducted by the Society for Education and Environmental Development (SEED) of Arunachal Pradesh, 410 species of butterfly population was recorded at Namdapha National Park.
The director of the iNaturewatch Foundation, Isaac Kehimkar, who is also known as the 'Butterfly Man of India,' said that "I am here not just to see the butterflies but to encourage the young butterfly lovers".
"Arunachal is the treasure house for eco-tourism. Also as I have said earlier, Arunachal should be declared the butterfly capital of India," he said further.
As part of the meet, school children painted around 3000 colourful butterflies on stone slabs.
Finally, the meet concluded with a closing ceremony in which certificates and mementoes were distributed to the participants.
( With inputs from ANI )