The largest butterfly house or dome in the world, founded by Clive Farrell, will be built in a 26-acre site Chiswell Green, St. Albans, Hertfordshire in Great Britain. It will boast a collection of approximately 10,000 tropical butterflies consisting of 250 different species in a 300 foot wide complex.

Some of the more interesting planned sections of Butterfly World are caterpillar gardens, chrysalis pond, spiral proboscis walk and nectar gardens. The biome and walkthrough experience will include reproduced Mayan ruins and rainforest. This £25m world-class visitor attraction which opens in 2009 till 2011 in few phases, is expected to attract about 1 million visitors a year where 40% of them are children.

3D impression of Butterfly World UK from the sky. Image is courtesy of The Independent.

The aim of this butterfly dome is to raise immediate awareness of the current threats to the world’s butterfly and moth population and educate the public on conserving all flora and fauna in this world. This project will also largely help towards funding the organisations that care for and preserve the natural environment, which will benefit the public in return, as 10% of Butterfly World’s annual profit will be donated to the Butterfly World Trust to invest into research, conservation and community projects.

Clive also said “More than three quarters of British butterfly species have declined in the last 20 years, some of them very rapidly. That is worrying, not least because these declines indicate an underlying deterioration of the environment as a whole. For the sake of future generations we must take action now. Butterfly World is doing just that. It is putting the issues on the agenda and is seeking to help reverse this environmental catastrophe.”

From left to right, David Bellamy - botanist, environmental campaigner and broadcaster, Clive Farrell - world renown lepidopterist and Sir David Attenborough - broadcaster and naturalist.

Dear Clive, we thank you for continuous inspiration to us.

“Making butterfly spotting accessible gets people in touch with nature. Butterflies are essential indicators of the health of the environment, as well as being beautiful and quite wonderful to watch. It’s an honour to be recognised for doing something I love.” said Clive.

Butterflies are continuing to lose their habitat not only in the UK but also every part of the world. Here are some facts about butterflies in the UK alone:

• During the 20th century, 5 butterfly species (in Great Britain) and 60 moth species became extinct!
• Losses of butterfly species have outstripped those of birds and plants!
• The number of butterfly species on the priority endangered species list has more than doubled in twelve years, rising from 11 butterflies and 53 moths in 2005 to 24 butterflies and over 150 moths in 2007!
• The Large Blue or Maculinea arion - the UK’s largest and rarest blue butterfly became extinct in the British Isles in 1979!

Giant Sea Spider

Octopus

Sea Stars

Scary Predatory Fish

Shrimp Like Creature

The glass tulips are actually bizarre-looking creatures called tunicates, plankton-eating animals that resemble slender glass structures up to a yard tall “standing in fields like poppies said the researcher.

The giant worm, at 10 inches (250 mm) long and weighing 11 ounces (300 gm), is an example of a phenomenon called ”gigantism,” which scientists still do not fully understand.  It is known that gigantism can be commonly found in the Antartic waters.

Giant sea spiders crawling all over, do see you them?

The video they shot is really out of this world, nothing ever seen before - experience life in an alien world and so beautiful.

Click here to watch the entire video footage from National Geographic.

For many species of insects, mimicry is one of the key to survival. However in a latest findings by an insect ecologist - mimicry caused by parasites can be life torturing for some insects such as ants.

Here’s what I mean when you see these photos:

This tropical ant of the species Cephalotes atratus is infected with a parasitic roundworm that makes its bulbous rear end, called a gaster, look like a juicy red berry. Researchers believe the parasites transform the gasters to trick foraging birds into eating the ants. Birds poop out parasite eggs, allowing the worms to spread to new ant colonies.

The Cephalotes atratus ants are common in the tropical forest canopy in Central and Latin America. If knocked off a branch, they can glide toward the tree trunk, grab hold, and climb back up.

  - photos by Steve Yanoviak and National Geographic

Insect ecologist Steve Yanoviak says the finding is the first known example of fruit mimicry caused by a parasite in the world.

Such as an amazing discovery, isn’t it? Too bad for the ants, they enjoy feeding on birds’ feces which contain those worms that causes this strange life cycle to go on. Well, that’s nature!

You can read the full story here:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/01/photogalleries/ant-pictures/index.html

Will you be visiting us this year again? Have you made any resolution this year?

One of my resolution this year is simply to CHANGE! Now, why did I say change?

Most of us are probably at the same place, same habit, same thoughts, all the time.
Some of you are probably trying to find more happiness, more freedom or a greener pasture in life. But really, what does it take to achieve that?

Let’s look back at nature and take this as an example - a caterpillar. If a caterpillar feeds itself on leaves and grows, what will it become eventually? A Butterfly!
Why? That’s because the DNA of the butterfly is already in the caterpillar. With a little motivation, it turns itself into a chrysalis, and soon emerges a butterfly.

Now, what if you take that caterpillar away from its favourite leaves, and put it somewhere far from leaves (hope no one does that).
Will the caterpillar grow and turn into a chrysalis and then a butterfly? Obviously it won’t. In the wrong environment, it will always stay a caterpillar.

I’m trying to give you motivation that there is a huge potential within us waiting to emerge. But to be able to grow to that potential, you need to start making changes. I’m not talking about physical changes, but the change one has to make in one’s MENTAL environment in order to move forward.

Has anyone ever realised, the caterpillar could not have become a butterfly IF it DID NOT make a DECISION to start spinning into a pupae or chrysalis?
And I guess somehow nature is good at convincing every caterpillar to make that decision!

The point is everyone has to make a decision in order to change or see changes in their lives. I know, it is so often not comfortable to change, but it is always possible to change. And I’m thankful, that that possibility and decision can make a difference in my life and your life. And that’s a very powerful decision!

I hope this motivates you to set new goals or resolutions this year in order to see or experience or achieve whatever your dreams are.

“Yesterday was an abandoned dream, tomorrow is always a promise, but today there’s a gift in your hands - it’s the Power to CHANGE.”

I hope you make that decision to change as I am already making changes right now! Have a great 2008 and come back here often!

Two month ago, Kavitha the owner and savior of a Green Iguana has to make a big decision on whether to keep the Iguana which she loves very much, or to place it in an environment meant for these animal. Her final decision was to give the iguana up knowing that it will have a better home and to have more friends……..This touching story was written by the owner herself after she had donated her loving pet iguana to us, The Penang Butterfly Farm…….

How Abhi Was Saved and How They Become Bestfriend

“Ok let me tell you about how abhimanyu came into my life. I took him from a friend when he was barely 4 months old, in a terrible condition; he could barely move or walk, malnutritioned and not exposed to sun light.

I took him home, constantly kept him close to my body, and every feeding time, I would juice mixed fruits like carrot, watermelon, papaya n banana, mango, mixing it with vits, and feed him thru a small syringe. Feeding took at least 30 minutes because he was too weak to even open his mouth; he sleeps on my chest every night, so that his body is constantly warm.

And slowly my little baby became better. I named him ‘Abhimanyu’ (a warrior from old Hindu scriptures for having survived his ordeal). We go everywhere together. Drives to Penang (from KL) with my little manyu baby sleeping on my lap while I drive; he loves to look out the window of the car for hours as well.

We even went to have lunch at a hotel with some clients with ‘Abhimanyu’ sitting quietly throughout the 2 hour lunch inside my blouse. That is how good a boy he is. My sister (rekha) and I used to keep him as close as possible so that he is constantly warm. Sometimes it’s so funny seeing this little green head peep out of the collar of your shirt, just below you neck.

Once when my sister was washing plates, he had his 2 front’s legs holding the collar and peeping out, looking at her washing dishes from inside her collared t-shirt. He is very cute and manja.

At home he had his own teddy bear and he is tucked in every night. When he wakes up, he walks to the balcony, basks in the sun and come in only when he has had enough.

Once in my old apartment he went to the balcony, climbed onto a coconut tree beside the balcony thru the dried palm leave… and climbed down the tree, four floors down to open garden below during a heavy storm. Only found him the next morning, looking down the balcony, saw this little green thing moving on a lemon shrub. He loves the green, so I am very sure he will be happy.

Thank you once again.. and you can talk to him, he will listen, he understands alot, maybe its our bonding. But for an iguana he is way too smart. My cousins would say he’d win academy award for acting…for he is so well behaved when i am around but is so naughty when he is with them.”

If you are interested in meeting Abhi, come visit the Penang Butterfly Farm!!!

• Retail & Cafe Manager
• Education & Recreation Coordinator
• Research & Development Officer
• Cafe Assistant
• Sales Assistant
• Procurement & Inventory Assistant.

If you are interested in working in an environment different from the others, this is a great opportunity not to be missed. For further information about the jobs available, please visit Career Opportunities.

This gecko has an amazing body color with striking red dots and bluish background. The eyes are prominent which have vertical slits on them. Similar to most geckos, the Tokay gecko has two hidden ears. Besides its magnificent body color, the Tokay gecko is an aggressive carnivores’ reptile which has an Insectivorous diet. It is also capable of biting and has an unpredictable temperament, so do be careful!

Breeding season for this gecko species will normally last for about 4 to 5 months and during the mating process, the male gecko will hold onto the female using their mouth. In order to attract a female gecko, the male gecko makes a call and it can be heard over a wide area. This loud sound is repeated for a couple of times hoping that a female gecko will respond. The male will approach the female from the back, where the male gecko later will place its teeth on the female’s neck section to hold her in place as they move from side to side during the mating process. After mating, the female will look for a safe place to lay its eggs, and when the right location is found, she will then lay the eggs and secure them to a solid base where they will be guarded by both male and female gecko until they hatch. One of the interesting feature about this gecko is the females can lay eggs about every month.

Tokay Gecko In The News
Gecko’s Sticky Feet Inspires MIT Researchers

Bichers look amazingly similar to a salamander but they are not! It is a type of primitive fish that is called a living fossil and can survive out of water. They have a modified bladder that is lung-like which allows them to obtain oxygen from air in poor oxygenated waters. Bichirs also have spiracles located behind each eyes and very tough ganoid scales (diamond shape) to prevent water loss from the body. The Bichir is a carnivorous fish that feeds on prawns, fishes, crustaceans, mollusks, insects and frogs.

There are about 18 species of bichirs known worldwide and a few of the species are now living in the aquarium of the Penang Butterfly Farm. One of them is a special and interesting bichir known as the Ornate bichir. It is one of the most attractive of all bichirs with striking black and yellow color. This bichir has a cute and strong pectoral fins to sustain the front body part (similar to legs) and the pelvic fins located near to the end of its body. The below is the picture of the Ornate Bichir.

Besides the Ornate bichir, we also have the Barred Bichir, Albino Bichir and the Grey Bichir.