Sammilan Shetty’s Butterfly Park set for inaugural at Belvai on Aug 18

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, Aug 13, 2013: Sammilan Shetty’s Butterfly Park in Belvai village is spread across 7.35 acres of land close by the Kanthavara forest in between the two famous towns  of Moodbidri and Karkala on National Highway 13.

Speaking at the press meet held at Press Club on August 13, Tuesday, Sammilan  said that the place being amidst Western Ghats hosts more than 100 species of butterflies, including some of the endemic and most dazzling butterflies of the world.

Isaac Kehimkar, General  Manager, Programmes- BHMS, Mumbai will inaugurate the  Butterfly Park and also launch the website on August 18, Sunday at 9 am.

Dr Shubhalaxmi Vaylure, Deputy Director- BHNS, Mumbai will preside over the event. Minister for Youth  Services Department and Fisheries K Abhaychandra Jain, MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, Karnataka State Wildlife Board member Dr N A Madhyastha and Dr Arunachalam Kumar, Director, Research and Development, Nitte University will be the chief guests.

He also said that the major attractions include the Malabar Banded Peacock (Papilio Buddha), Southern Birdwing (Troides minos), Malabar Rose, Paris Peacock (Papilio pasis), Tamil Lacewing (Cethosia nietneri), Tawny Rajah (charaxes bernadus), Red Spot Duke (Dolpha evelina), Autumn Leaf (Doleschallia bisaltide), Clipper (Partenos Syliva), Western Centaur Oakblue (Arhopala pseudocentaurus), Large Oakblue (Arhopala amantes), and many more. Rare beauties like Tamil Oakblue (Arhopala Bazaloides) and Banded Royal (Rachana jalindra) have been recorded.

The park also hosts a significant variety of naturally found host plants and the result is the thriving bio-diversity in the park. A total of 113 species of butterflies have been found in the park till date, he said.

Samod Shetty, Nithin Kumar and Rakshith Rao were present at the press meet.