Discover the Enchanting Wonder: India’s 2nd-Largest Butterfly Hub with 446 Mesmerizing Species
Kaziranga National Park: A Beacon of Butterfly and Wildlife Diversity
Kaziranga National Park, located across Assam’s Golaghat, Sonitpur, Biswanath, and Nagaon districts, has emerged as India’s second-largest hub for butterfly diversity, just behind Namdapha National Park in Arunachal Pradesh. Extensive research, spearheaded by Dr. Monsoon Jyoti Gogoi, has documented over 446 butterfly species within the park. Eighteen of these are new records for India, underscoring the rich biodiversity of this UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The park recently hosted its inaugural "Butterfly Conservation Meet-2024" from September 27 to 29, drawing 40 butterfly enthusiasts and experts from renowned organizations including North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) and the Corbett Foundation. During the event, participants observed 85 butterfly species in the Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong landscape, accompanied by presentations on butterfly taxonomy by Gaurab Nandi Das. Dr. Gogoi also launched a new pictorial guide detailing the park’s butterfly populations.
The meet emphasized the critical role of butterflies as pollinators and called for enhanced conservation efforts alongside the park’s other famed inhabitants: Bengal tigers, Indian rhinoceroses, Asian elephants, wild water buffalo, and swamp deer. Kaziranga, home to two-thirds of the world’s Indian rhinoceroses, offers a striking example of successful wildlife conservation, with its rhino population growing from 2,401 in 2015 to 2,613 in 2018. The park, also a recognized Important Bird Area, gained the status of a Tiger Reserve in 2006.
Kaziranga’s commitments to preserving its diverse ecosystems and becoming a centerpiece of both butterfly diversity and broader wildlife conservation stand as a model for similar protected areas nationwide. The collaboration between the Assam Forest Department and NGOs continues to safeguard this critical habitat and its remarkable biodiversity.
Original Story https://www.sentinelassam.com/north-east-india-news/assam-news/assams-kaziranga-indias-2nd-largest-butterfly-hub-with-446-species
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