The Parambikulam Tiger Reserve is now emerging as a safe haven for rare butterflies.
The latest butterfly survey, initiated by the Parambikulam Tiger Conservation Foundation in association with the Wayanad-based Ferns Naturalists Society, found in the reserve 201 uncommon butterflies, including Purple-spotted flitter and Nilgiri grass yellow. Indian owl king butterfly and Autumn leaf butterfly were the other two infrequent types found.
According to Parambikulam Tiger Conservation Foundation deputy director P.V. Madhusoodhanan, this was the first time that Purple-spotted flitters were identified in areas south of the Palakkad Gap.
Though the presence of Nilgiri grass yellow was recorded for the first time in Kerala during the last butterfly survey in Parambikulam, their habitat in the reserve was confirmed only during this survey.
18 camps arranged
Sixty butterfly experts from different parts of the State took part in the survey, held from October 13 to 16. Eighteen camps were arranged for the experts.
Butterfly experts P.A. Vinayan, Kalesh, V.K. Chandrasekharan, Vishnu Vijayan, and N.S. Sujin coordinated the survey.
The experts identified one Plum judy butterfly in the reserve and spotted 47 Hesperiidae skippers, 43 Lycaenidae winged butterflies, 70 Nymphalidae brush footed butterflies, 24 Pieridae yellow white butterflies, and 16 Papilionidae swallow tail butterflies. A pioneer in community-based ecotourism, Parambikulam tries to ensure foolproof conservation with the active involvement of 234 members of six tribal settlements.
Many firsts
The reserve has many firsts to its credit, made possible through the participation of tribespeople.
Being a protected forest area, the reserve has nearly five endemic flora varieties and has had 29 direct sightings of tigers.
Ever since the Joint Forest Participatory Management was introduced, there have been no incidents of poaching in the reserve.
Also, there had been no forest fire.
It is now ‘the first domestic cattle-free protected forest area.’
