Guwahati, May 13: In a first-of-its-kind initiative blending celebration, conservation, and community spirit, the Butterfly Society of Sikkim–TPCF has launched the state’s inaugural Butterthon — a butterfly-watching marathon running from May 1st to 16th, to mark Sikkim’s 50th year of statehood.
The event has already made history by attracting international participation. Esteemed Indian ornithologist Dr Peter Lobo was joined by Joseph Coleman Thompson Jr. from the United States and Indika Upul Jayatissa from Sri Lanka, marking the first time international guests have arrived in Sikkim specifically for butterfly watching.
National participants have also brought enthusiasm and expertise to the hills, with notable butterfly watchers Fahim Khan, Savita, and Sarpita Bosefrom Maharashtra and Pune, and Subhajit Roy, Bias Chakraborty, Aaratrik Pal, and Amit ChakrChakraborty fromata and Cooch Behar joining the race. Together with members of the Butterfly Society, they are traversing various biodiverse regions of Sikkim in search of the state’s vibrant winged wonders.
“Sikkim is home to nearly 60% of India’s butterfly species despite its small size of just 7,086 square kilometres. This Butterthon is a celebration of both our natural heritage and our identity as a state,” said a spokesperson for the Butterfly Society of Sikkim–TPCF.
The Butterthon not only celebrates Sikkim’s golden jubilee as a state but also aims to spotlight the state’s immense potential for butterfly-watching tourism, an often overlooked but ecologically rich avenue for sustainable development. Organizers hope this initiative will inspire local youth to consider butterfly conservation and eco-tourism as viable careers, as Sikkim cements its role as a haven for nature lovers and lepidopterists alike.
With sightings pouring in from lush valleys to high-altitude trails, this flutter-filled tribute promises to be a landmark moment in both Sikkim’s ecological journey and its golden jubilee celebrations.
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