Iritty: Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary, renowned for its rich biodiversity, is now gaining recognition for its diverse dragonfly population.

In a dragonfly survey conducted here after an eight-year hiatus, nine additional species were identified, raising the total number of butterfly species recorded in the sanctuary to 103. The survey, held in memory of the late dragonfly researcher C G Kiran, was jointly organised by the Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary, the Forest and Wildlife Department, the Malabar Natural History Society (Kozhikode, and the Travancore Nature History Society (Thiruvananthapuram).       

Although butterfly surveys were previously conducted in 2015, 2016, and 2017, they had been discontinued since then. Those three surveys had documented 96 species.       

In the latest survey, 11 teams were deployed across areas including Chavachy, Paripputhodu, Narikkadavu, Kottiyoor, Meenmutty, Suryamudi, and Ambalapara, resulting in the identification of 58 species. Among these, seven species were recorded in Aralam for the first time. They are Melligomphus acinaces (Kurunagha Valan), Merogomphus tamarachemiensis (Pokkan Kaduva), Acrogomphus fraseri (Chola Kaduva), Orthetrum triangulare (Neelakkaruppan Vyali), Euphaea wayanadensis (Nadan Aruviyan) and Macromia cingulata(Nattu Perumkannan).       

The survey was inaugurated by Aralam Wildlife Warden V Ratheeshan, with Assistant Wildlife Warden Ramya Raghavan presiding. Leading the survey were Zoological Survey of India scientist Dr M Jaffar Palottu, Dr Kalesh Sadasivan, Dr Abraham Samuel, V C Balakrishnan, and Vinayan P Nair.       

Aralam, designated as India’s first butterfly sanctuary in consideration of  its exceptional butterfly diversity and status as a protected forest, hosts annual bird and butterfly surveys. A lizard survey was also conducted here last month.       

Recognitions
Dr. Abraham Samuel received the Dr. Franci Kakkasserry Memorial Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to Natural History education and odontology. Sayyid Farhan (NSS College, Ottapalam) was awarded the Dr M S Mayilvahanan Memorial Best Odonate Photographer Award. O Amruthavarshini (Lady Doak College, Madurai) and K Noorul Ameen (Government Victoria College, Palakkad) secured second and third prizes, respectively.       

NSS College, Ottapalam; Lady Doak College, Madurai; and Nehru Arts and Science College, Kanhangad won the first, second, and third prizes respectively in the odonate quiz competition. Muhammed Ameen was honoured with the “Man of the Meet” award for his enthusiastic participation and contributions. Dr M Jaffar Palottu symbolically presented the Dragonfly Book to the Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary library.       

“Aralam has cemented its place as one of the finest butterfly ecosystems in Kerala. The butterfly survey will now be included in the annual survey calendar,” said  V Satheeshan, Wildlife Warden, Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary