Mangalore : Sammilan Shetty said that his Butterfly Park in Belvai village is spread 7.35 acres of land, located in the forest in the foot of Kanthavara forest in between the two famous towns  Moodabidri and Karkala on National Highway 13.

Addressing the reporters at the press meet held at Press Club on Tuesday,  August 13,  he said Isaac Kehimkar, general  manager, Programmes- BHMS, Mumbai will inaugurate 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 guest.

Speaking about the park, he said that the place being admist Western Ghats hosts more than 100 species of butterflies, inculding some of the endemic and most dazzling butterflies of the world.

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. 113 species of Butterflies recorded in the park, he said.

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