Ten years after the West Bengal government was persuaded by nature lovers to purchase a mango orchard full of rich, diverse fauna, it has turned into a paradise for bird watchers.
A year-long study at the Chintamani Kar Bird Sanctuary in Baruipur, about 20 km from here and located over 16 acres of land, has revealed that the park is home to 108 avian species and 79 species of butterflies.
“Whereas there are only 300 species of bird found in Sunderbans spread over 4,000 square km, the park has more than 100 species of birds and nearly 80 species of butterflies,” Nature Mates-Nature Club secretary Arjan Basu Roy told The Hindu .
Nature lovers claim that the orchard was about 30 acres and the before the State government could intervene, the owner sold 14 acres of land in plots and only 16 acres could be saved.