The fifth edition of the Ziro Butterfly Meet was kicked off today at Yazali , Arunachal Pradesh.
Yazali
The fifth edition of the Ziro Butterfly Meet was kicked off today with an inaugural function, attended by more than 30 participants from all over the country and around a hundred local people of Yazali and nearby villages.
The meet, organized by NgunuZiro and usually held at Ziro, shifted the location to Yazali this year in collaboration with Panyor Solyoq.
The participants include Isaac Kehimkar, the Butterfly Man of India and others from the states of Kerala, Karnataka, Karnataka, West Bengal, Assam and students from Yazali, Ziro and Itanagar.
Dr. Tage Kanno, Adviser, NgunuZiro, highlighted the objectives of the butterfly meet and its inception some five years back at Ziro. He elaborated on the need for sustainable development and the need to exist with nature so that the future generations inherit the beautiful place with all its vibrant lives. All kinds of flora and fauna, especially small creatures like butterflies, play crucial role in sustaining the life on earth, he said.
In his keynote address, resource person Isaac Kehimkar said that the common love for butterflies have brought people from all parts of the country together. He congratulated the people of Arunachal Pradesh for having large forest coverage and urged the people to preserve them for future generations. He referred to the presence of the world’s three most rare butterflies, the Bhutan Glory, the Kaiser-e-Hind and Brown Gorgon in Talle Wildlife Sanctuary and advocated to declare it as a Butterfly Sanctuary. Rare species like Kaiser-e-Hind, he said is equivalent to larger animals like tigers and lions. Kehimkar termed the North East as his “pilgrimage for butterflies” where butterflies still abound.
Panyor Solyoq (local partner ) Chairman Techi Kak in his welcome address said that Yazali is has huge potential in terms of eco-tourism but still not explored.
Earlier, the guest of the honour, Lower Subansiri Goan Bura Association President Baath Khilli welcomed such event but regretted that it is too late. Due to lack of awareness and knowledge we have hunted many wildlife and felt down many important trees, he said. He informed that the Gaon Bura Association also started the conservation work of wildlife by banning hunting.
The Chief Guest, Taba Topu, Chief Patron, Tat Gaga Foundation, Yazali asked all the student to participate actively till the end of the programme and try to learn as much as you can from the experts. He said that spend lots of time and resources in politics but not much development has happened. He pledged to give more time to conservation activities and declared that he will start a butterfly garden at Yazali.
It may be mentioned that this is the fifth edition of the Ziro Butterfly Meet. Earlier editions had led to discovery and documentation of rare and much sought after butterflies like the Bhutan Glory, the Kaiser-e-Hind and Brown Gorgon. In addition, a new species of moth, named the Apatani Glory, was also discovered.
Ziro Butterfly Meet 2018, Yazali, Coordinator Hibu Tatu also address the gathering.
