Rapid decline in the number of butterflies, a matter of concern

Raipur: A walk and talk program on butterflies was organized at Nandanvan Jungle Safari, in which 80 students from various colleges of Raipur, Kurud and Bilaspur participated. At the beginning of the program, Conservation Society President J.P. Tandon made the students aware about the important role of butterflies in ecology and the need for their conservation.

After this, Dr. Kavita Das, Professor of Zoology Department of Government Science College Raipur, shared her views and said that due to excessive use of pesticides, the number of butterflies is declining rapidly, which is a matter of serious concern for the environment. She urged the students to develop sensitivity in this direction and play an active role in conservation, after which the walk started, in which the students were divided into two groups and they identified various species of butterflies on a 3 km trail. During this, the students saw butterflies like Common Crow, Emigrant, Great Eggfly, Sailor.

At the end of the walk, all the students reached the Butterfly Garden located in the zoo campus, where they were given information about the importance of host plants. The students were told what role these plants play in the life cycle of butterflies and which plants play an important role in the survival of butterflies. After the visit, the students were shown a documentary based on the jungle safari in the Interpretation Hall and Dhammasheel Ganvir, Director of Nandanvan Jungle Safari, while addressing the students, said that the jungle safari has to be developed as an education center, where students can research on wildlife and enrich their knowledge. Also, he appealed to the students to join the Yuvan Volunteer Program in Jungle Safari. In the end, all the students were awarded certificates for their participation, and they were taken on a tour of the zoo, where they saw butterflies and other creatures closely.