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Butterflies defy typhoon, amaze conservationists

Purple crow butterflies are pictured in Kaohsiung County’s Maolin National Scenic Area on Wednesday. PHOTO: LEE WEN-YI, TAIPEI TIMES

Much to wildlife conservationists’ amazement and joy, Taiwan’s largest purple crow butterfly habitat managed to withstand devastation wrought by Typhoon Morakot, which battered southern Taiwan in early August.

“A recent field survey shows that the gorges of Seshe and Maolin Ecological Park in Kaohsiung County’s Maolin National Scenic Area [MNSA] — the traditional winter habitat of the special migrating butterfly species — remained mostly unscathed,” Wu Mao-sheng (吳茂盛), director of MNSA Administration, said on Thursday.

Usually the colorful creatures begin arriving in large numbers in Maolin’s (茂林) valleys in November, but this year, the first ones arrived early last month, Wu said.

“The number of wintering purple crow butterflies is expected to be impressive this year, judging from the fact that the number of those arriving in October far surpassed the figure recorded for the same period of last year,” Wu said.

About 400,000 purple crow butterflies were documented in the Maolin valleys last year, volunteers from the Taiwan Purple Crow Butterfly Ecological Preservation Association said.

With the recent drop in temperature in northern Taiwan, volunteers said they expected more butterflies would come to Maolin for wintering this year and that the number could match the previous high of 1 million.

“Usually, more than 100 butterflies will flutter over one’s head in five minutes,” a volunteer said.

As most of the butterflies rest in higher altitude valleys, tourists can only see scattered butterflies within river valleys during sunny mornings, the volunteer said.

In recent years, the MNSA Administration has regularly organized guided butterfly-watching tours to allow more wildlife enthusiasts to admire the insects close up.

Wu said a biennial butterfly-watching program would run from Dec. 12 to March 6.

Mountainous townships in the region, including Maolin, Liouguei (六龜), Taoyuan (桃源), Sandimen (三地門), Majia (瑪家) and Wutai (霧台), were all severely devastated by flooding and landslides.

After being closed to tourists for three months, major pathways in the region have been repaired and paved with asphalt, Wu said.

“While large coaches will still be barred … medium-sized buses, SUVs and compact cars can cruise the area safely,” Wu said.

As a prelude to the biennial butterfly watching festival, Wu said his office would join forces with the Liouguei township office in organizing a drumming event at the township’s Baolai Junior High School this weekend dedicated to survivors in the region.

U Theatre will head a group of hearing-impaired students in performing its signature drum piece, Mandala Dedication, which was performed at the opening ceremony for the 2009 Summer Deaflympics in Taipei in September.

The program will be named “Drum Wish” as organizers say they hope the sound and rhythm of drumming can encourage typhoon-affected people to regain faith and rebuild their lives and careers.
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