Guwahati: Now there is another reason to visit Kaziranga National Park. Besides being home to the world's highest one-horned rhino population, the Kaziranga National Park has also earned the distinction of being home to the second-highest butterfly in the country next to Namdapha National Park in Arunachal Pradesh.
Several years of research carried out by Dr. Monsoon Jyoti Gogoi, a young scientist hailing from Kaziranga, has brought to the fore that more than 446 butterfly species have been reported from Kaziranga National Park.
Gogoi shared that the first-ever "Butterfly Conservation Meet-2024," held from September 27th to 29th, focused on detailed butterfly records and further dissemination on the butterfly status.
The meet attracted approximately 40 butterfly enthusiasts from across India including participants from the North Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Cotton University, various Assam colleges, the Maharashtra Forest Department, Corbett Foundation, and key members of the North East Butterflies group.
Gogoi, who has been carrying out the research on butterflies since the last seventeen years said that apart from Kaziranga National Park, the Panbari Reserve Forest in Kaziranga is also home to a diverse range of butterfly species.
"A total of 85 species of butterflies were observed during the meet," he said. The other highlight of the event was the launch of a new pictorial guidebook on butterflies, authored by Dr. Monsoon Jyoti Gogoi. The book documents 446 species of butterflies recorded in Kaziranga, 18 of which are new records for India.
Gogoi, who has been studying butterflies in the region since 2007, shared that Kaziranga now ranks second in butterfly species diversity among India's protected areas, after Namdapha National Park.
"This record is particularly significant given Kaziranga's location outside the Himalayan and Patkai mountain ranges, making its high species diversity a remarkable achievement," he said.
The Butterfly Conservation Meet aims to elevate awareness around the importance of butterfly conservation in Kaziranga. By highlighting the rich diversity of species in the region, the event encourages further research, monitoring, and habitat protection initiatives. It ensures that butterflies become an integral part of Kaziranga’s conservation priorities, alongside its iconic 'Big Five' – the Bengal tiger, Indian rhinoceros, Asian elephant, wild water buffalo, and swamp deer. The meet has laid a strong foundation for future efforts to preserve these vital pollinators and the ecosystems they support, he said.
