From the footage published in youtube by TTN news, you can see numerous small black dots in the sky. They are flying, and it turns out that all of them are purple butterflies. Kenting in Pingtung is located at the intersection of tropical and subtropical regions, with abundant butterfly resources.
Therefore, during the spring and summer seasons, a large migration of purple butterflies passes through the area.
100,000 Purple Crow Butterflies Migrate Through Kenting
Due to the butterfly's flying speed of approximately twenty kilometers per hour, if the vehicle speed exceeds fifty kilometers per hour, there is a high likelihood of colliding with the butterflies and causing harm or fatalities.
The most common location where a large number of purple butterflies appear is along Provincial Highway 200, which goes from Hengchun to Manzhou (an attraction in Kenting itself).
Observations have shown that up to 1200 purple butterflies can be seen per minute, with an estimated total population reaching 100,000.
Therefore, there is a great concern and a special appeal for motorists passing through these road sections to reduce their speed to 40 kilometers per hour and proceed with caution, to reduce the occurrence of collisions with the purple butterflies.
The Taiwan Purple Crow and the Monarch Butterfly of Mexico are two of the world’s major migratory butterfly species.
Their main wintering grounds in southern Taiwan are in the Maolin District of Kaohsiung. In recent years, the Kenting National Park has observed a tragic phenomenon of these butterflies being “road-killed” (colliding with vehicles) while crossing the road during spring migration.
Starting from the 17th of June, an amazing sight of tens of thousands of butterflies flying northward has been observed each morning on the section of Provincial Highway 200 that leads to the Maolin District. To prevent the unfortunate death of hundreds of butterflies on the road every day, a local rescue team has begun holding signs and reminding motorists to slow down in the hotspots along County Road 200 and the Nanwan section of Highway 26.
These nice guys hold a sign in a summer heat to warn drivers to slow down to 40km/h to protect butterflies!
Butterfly expert Mr. Chan Chia-Long suggests setting up nets to protect the purple treasures during the peak migration period, creating an ecological conservation highlight following the examples of bird-watching and crab conservation efforts.
Kenting National Park is home to over 200 butterfly species. In the past, the Purple Crow butterflies were sporadically found in small numbers during their winter gatherings in the park, estimated to be around a thousand individuals.
However, in recent years, the Conservation Research Division of the Kenting National Park has discovered large-scale migrations occurring during spring. These migrations have been observed on sections of Highway 26 from Kenting to Nanwan,
County Road 200 leading from Hengchun to Manzhou Township, and County Road 153 along the western coast of the Hengchun Peninsula. Unfortunately, there have been significant casualties due to collisions with vehicles. To study the migratory behavior and habitat ecology of the Purple Crow butterflies within the national park, the Kenting National Park Headquarters has enlisted the expertise of butterfly researcher Mr. Chan Chia-Long for the past two years.
Since the 17th of this month until today, on County Road 200, there has been a daily occurrence of over 10,000 butterflies crossing the road between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m., reaching up to 1,200 butterflies per minute.
This is the largest recorded number to date. The Kenting National Park authorities have urged motorists to slow down when passing through these hotspots to avoid collisions and prevent butterfly fatalities.
The grassroots Purple Crow Butterfly Rescue Team has started deploying volunteers with signs to remind drivers to reduce their speed along the roadside. Starting tomorrow, they will also expand their presence to the Nanwan section of Highway 26.
Lin Li-Chen, the initiator of the team, mentioned that at this time last year, they collected a cup full of road-killed Purple Crow butterflies and managed to save a few injured ones. With this year’s massive occurrence, she hopes everyone will drive with greater caution. The butterfly conservation efforts will continue for one month.
“By showing respect for the Purple Crow butterflies on the road, they will dance back year after year as a graceful reward!” suggested Jan Chia-Long.
He emphasized that these colorful butterflies are a captivating sight in the natural world. He urged people passing through Kenting in May and June to slow down when encountering Purple Crow butterflies flying across the road, allowing them to share the road.
With a flying speed of about 20 kilometers per hour, we can reduce butterfly fatalities and appreciate nature’s beauty. During the peak migration period, the Kenting National Park authorities could consider implementing a “Crab Crossing Road” approach similar to the one used for years or adopt the “Butterfly Lane” concept from the Taiwan Area National Freeway Bureau’s Linnei section, where nets are placed to protect butterflies passing through the road at a rate of 300 per minute.
According to the Kenting National Park authorities, the migration ecology and behavior of the Purple Crow butterflies within the area still remain a mystery, as they only recently commissioned a systematic and scientific investigation.
Based on Jan Chia-Long’s research, it has been observed that there could be over 1,200 butterflies per minute, estimated to reach a total of 100,000 individuals.
Hotspots for their presence include the 5.5-kilometer section of County Road 200, the Jicheng Village area near Sizhong, the rear firing range, and the South Bay section of Highway 26. During the peak migration period, the Kenting National Park authorities will install traffic warning signs and employ local residents to hold signs and remind motorists to proceed with caution. As for implementing butterfly protection nets, a broader assessment will be made once the results of the two-year investigation, scheduled to be completed by the end of the year, are available.