CHENNAI: The Arignar Anna Zoological Park in Vandalur is all set to get a butterfly park this summer.
The construction work which was started early last year is likely to be completed in about two months. Public Works Department (PWD) has completed 90 per cent of their work and the zoo officials have started their work on the horticulture.
Zoo authorities said the caterpillar-shaped park is being built on 2.7 hectares near the Otteri Lake. The park will host hundreds of colourful winged insects.
The butterfly conservatory in the gardens is also expected to help boost the butterfly population in the city. According to zoo officials, the park will have a host of plants, a landscaped habitat, nectar gardens, a walkway and pathways, as well as breeding and rearing centres and rock gardens.
There will also be larval and adult host plants to aid the various stages of the butterflies’ growth.
“The site is ideal because it is near a water body. This will help maintain the temperature. The moisture content of the soil is another key advantage of the site,” said a zoo official.
Many of the plants, such as Murraya exotica, Grewia asiatica and Lantana camar attract butterflies. An insectary has been set up for keeping larvae and has been covered with a net to prevent birds from feeding on them.
Display boards will be put up with the names of the butterflies in Tamil.
“The caterpillar design was chosen because the tube-like structure, which is 60-ft.-long and made of acrylic sheets, will not absorb much heat,” said an official from the Public Works Department, which is being assisted by Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI).
There are over 1,500 species of butterflies in India and Tamil Nadu alone is home to nearly 300 of them, said an official, with an assurance that the park would be an integral part of the zoo’s other attractions over the years.
A butterfly park will be opened at Vandalur zoo this summer
