Let’s Be Guardians of Butterflies

All of us have heard the unfavourable news of how certain industries are hard hit by the novel Coronavirus pandemic, and its subsequent global lockdown in a bid to halt the viral infection around the world. Foremost on our minds are those related to travel, events, cinemas and fitness centres, just to name a few.

Recently, we were notified of this cry for help by the Malacca Butterfly Park & Reptile Sanctuary, which I visited in 2013. It is also a victim of COVID-19, as it had to close its doors to visitors beginning 18th March, 2020, when the Movement Control Order (MCO) was enacted in Malaysia.

Dismally, the closing of this tourist attraction is not merely a loss of income and livelihood, it is also a loss of lives. Huh, how come? I was similarly puzzled, until I watched the video below that was published on YouTube.

Video: Guardian of Butterflies

Long story short, because of the lockdown in Malaysia, staff members of Malacca Butterfly Park & Reptile Sanctuary were unable to care for the thousands of larvae within its laboratories. The company had to let go of some employees. Thus, with a skeleton workforce, operation in laboratories is paralysed. Butterfly eggs were left uncollected while host plants were drying up, hence insufficient to feed the on-going population of butterfly larvae. Finally, a decision had to be made ….. and it was to euthanise an estimated 3,000 butterfly larvae. Suffice to say, it was one of the hardest actions the sanctuary had to take in its 30 years of operations.

In view of the aforementioned circumstances, Malacca Butterfly Park & Reptile Sanctuary is calling upon the public’s goodwill and warm hearts to support its efforts in butterfly farming and conservation by ADOPTING A BUTTERFLY.

Generally, ways to support the Malacca Butterfly Park & Reptile Sanctuary include buying butterflies and insects, adopting an animal, as well as donating to its Butterfly Conservation Programme. For details, log on to its official website. Make a difference with RM10. It starts with you.