Rare varieties of butterflies to attract more visitors

Remodelled and replenished Park to open in a month

Mysuru: The Butterfly Park at Karanji Lake Nature Park, abutting the Mysuru Zoo campus, has got a makeover and very soon, the winged wonders will attract the young and old.

Tourism Department has sanctioned Rs.20 lakh for the development of the Park and the Zoo Authority that maintains and manages the Lake has completed the Park works. The Tourism Department has earmarked Rs. 3 lakh for the Butterfly Park and the rest of the money will be used for other works. The Park is likely to be open in a month or so.

A tree-lined path leads a visitor to the vast expanses of green lawns with the sprawling Lake on the left. The clean and green atmosphere, coupled with the placid lake and the serenity of the place attracts many birds and butterflies.

Islands in the Lake with trees all over further attract the birds to come and breed. The Lake provides habitat to over 90 species of local and migratory birds including open-billed storks, pelicans, egrets, herons, lapwings, parakeets, snake-birds, sunbirds and sandpipers, turning into a mini bird sanctuary. 

Park closed till now

Considering the very rare ecosystem of the Lake, the Zoo Authority had built a Butterfly Park near the premises of Natural History Museum adjacent to the building eight years ago. As the biodiversity and climatic conditions of Karanji Lake surroundings are highly conducive for the breeding of butterflies, the Park did attract butterflies and visitors alike and it was a favourite destination for tourists to see colourful butterflies fluttering around. 

However, the Zoo Authority had banned the entry into the Butterfly Park years ago following the suicide of one person in the Lake. People visiting the Butterfly Park could easily enter the Lake water as there was no fencing. A gate was put up at the entrance and a security guard was posted there to prevent visitors. 

Due to this, the Butterfly Park had shrunk from the memory of Mysureans and also the beautiful landscape that was specially created for the Park developed weeds. Now the Zoo management decided to re-establish the Park to enhance the beauty of the Karanji Lake and the Rs. 20 lakh grant by the Tourism Department has provided the plan a boost. 

No seating arrangement 

The new Butterfly Park has been set up at its old location. In the earlier Butterfly Park, seating arrangements were made for the visitors. 

However, the earlier stone benches have been removed now and visitors can now take a stroll around the park, see the butterflies and walk out the gate. 

Zoo authorities said that there are over 10 varieties of butterflies in Mysuru region and plans are afoot to bring in more than 20 varieties to be populated inside the Butterfly Park. A Butterfly house will be built to breed butterflies and release them in the Park. 

Populating the Park

Also, there are plans to bring those butterflies that are at present inside the Zoo. Butterfly eggs have been procured from different regions and care has been taken to ensure that the butterfly species will acclimatise to Mysuru climate. 

Nearly 150 varieties of nectar and host plants will be planted in the garden to attract various kinds of butterflies. Display boards with information on the kinds of butterflies along with their specialities and importance will be put up

Flowering plants 

Care has been taken to grow flowering and fruiting plants around the Karanji Lake to attract butterflies and the Park is set to be opened in a month. A selfie point has been constructed at the Park and the place has been designed like two hands holding a butterfly. People can sit on it to take a selfie and share among their loved ones. 

To prevent people from venturing into the Lake from the Butterfly Park as it happened last time when one person committed suicide, ecofriendly wooden barricades have been installed around the Park. 

Karanji Lake Nature Park is one of the tourist hot-spots in city. Zoo and Karanji Lake is located in a vast area of 165 acres of which 75 percent of the area is filled with greenery that acts as a lung space besides providing shelter to a lot of birds and butterflies. Thanks to copious rain and desilting, the Lake water is now full to the brim, thus making it a perfect spot for bird watchers and nature lovers.

By M.T. Yogesh Kumar