The Hindu : Karnataka / Mysore News : India's largest aviary coming up in Mysore

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jun 06, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka - Mysore

India's largest aviary coming up in Mysore

By Our Staff Correspondent

Two butterflies sitting pretty at the butterfly park in Mysore.

MYSORE, JUNE 5. A butterfly park and India's largest aviary are all set to become the new attractions for local people and tourists visiting Mysore as the authorities are busy giving the final touches to the project.

Taken up as part of the Karanji Lake conservation project by the zoo authorities, the butterfly park is already swarming with thousands of these spotted beauties. There are at least 45 identifiable species of butterflies on the artificial island created exclusively for the park.

The project was conceived by the previous Director of the zoo, Rajashekar, and taken to its logical end by the current incumbent, Kumar Pushkar. The island was bereft of vegetation or butterflies till recently as the inflow of sewage from Siddarathanagar and polluted water from the Mysore Milk Dairy had rendered the lake unfit for any form of aquatic life.

But the zoo authorities took up the project to revive the lake with funding from the Asian Development Bank, which released Rs. 91 lakh for the project.

Mr. Pushkar told The Hindu that K.B. Sadanand, a botanist, was helping them in identifying host plants and nectar plants essential for the breeding of butterflies. Endemic species of butterflies had been selected carefully, and their number was expected to increase during the monsoon, he said.

He pointed out that the biodiversity and climatic conditions of Mysore were suitable for the breeding of butterflies. The island had come alive and was teeming with colours soon after the first flush of water into the lake. There were at least 45 identifiable butterfly species in the island and the visitors could watch at least 15 to 20 species at any given point of time, he said. However, it was the Blue Tiger variety that was predominant this year and had lent a touch of that colour to the island, Mr. Pushkar added. Boating would be introduced at the lake by the end of this month.

Similarly, work on India's largest aviary is likely to be completed in two weeks. Conceived on the lines of the Jurong Bird Park in Singapore, the aviary will encompass an area of 2,400 square metres with a height of 20 metres.

Mr. Pushkar said endangered birds would be kept in the aviary and the zoo authorities would take steps to feed them. "Once the installation of the chain-lined metal mesh is complete, we will select the birds. Within a month, the city will have a new attraction," he added.

The project envisages walkways for visitors with streams flowing below. Different species of birds normally endemic to tropical regions such as kingfishers and hornbills will be released in the aviary. Attractive display boards will be installed to help the visitors while an elephant ride will be introduced in due course as an added attraction.

The Karanji Lake, which is located adjoining the Mysore zoo, is spread across 60 acres while the foreshore is spread across 80 acres. The lake is teeming with birds including painted storks and grey pelicans. Construction of watchtowers and landscaping of the foreshore has added to the natural beauty of the precincts.

With the Regional Museum of Natural History located close by, the Karanji Lake is set to emerge as an important place for conservation education, according to Mr. Pushkar.

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