Significant number of butterflies and small animals are ending up as road-kill because of vehicular traffic in the Pachamalai hills, says a team of eco-activists that has been studying the situation since September.
“Different species of butterflies are run over by vehicles, particularly two-wheelers in the monsoon months, especially in the foothills,” Q. Ashoka Chakkaravarthy, ecologist and teacher of Environmental Science, Department of Foundation Courses, St. Joseph’s College, told The Hindu .
Mr. Chakravarthy has teamed up with engineering students and nature enthusiasts K. Arunagiri, S. Gnanapandithan, and G. Agathisan, to systematically study the butterfly population of the Pachamalai hills, 80 km from Tiruchi, and a protected nature reserve, since September.
The group has been spending at least half a day once a week along a 3.5-km stretch on the foothills approached via Thuraiyur, photographing and identifying the different species of butterflies and other small fauna that live in the region.
Lepidoptera (an order of insects that comprises the butterflies and moths) species are known to migrate to southern India in the cooler months from September to February.
The recent rainy weather had increased their numbers, said the team, but had put them at risk of mass destruction as well.
As noticed by the team, among the butterfly types that suffered are Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus), common rose (Pachliopta aristolochiae), lemon pansy (Junonia lemonias), and oriental common nawab (Charaxes athamas athamas).
“It is really sad that this is happening at a time when we have also got a dedicated Butterfly Park (in Srirangam),” said Mr. Chakravarthy. The tendency of butterflies to engage in ‘mud-puddling’ behaviour – where they seek out certain moist substances such as rotting plant matter, mud and carrion and suck up the fluid at ground level or on rocky surfaces makes them vulnerable to getting hit by speeding vehicles, he added.
“Butterflies are pollinators and a food source for other species, which is why they are essential to study the impact of habitat loss and fragmentation, and climate change,” said Mr. Charavarthy.
“It is important to consider not just big animals, but also small creatures such as the butterfly, millipede, frog, dragonfly, firefly, and snake in the conservation debate,” he said.
Pachamalai falls under the purview of the Thuraiyur forest range, which has set up three checkpoints to monitor the motorists going up the hills. “We check every vehicle for plastic bags, alcohol, and narcotics as they are banned in this area,” said R. Ravikrishnan, forest range officer.
He said the range office had not noticed animals ending up as road-kill, though “the butterfly numbers had gone up in the foothills due to the monsoons.”
Pachamalai, which is located 800 metres above the sea level, is home to big animals such as wild boar, bear, and the python.
A community-based eco-tourism project estimated at Rs. 2.3 crore, funded by the Tourism Department and executed by the Forest Department is nearing completion here.
