Wings of Hope

FROM a butterfly chaser as a child, Nawang Gyatso Bhutia is now a renowned butterfly and moth conservationist.

- Prasanta Mazumdar reports

The 40-year-old has trained youngsters who now eke out a living as guides for butterfly enthusiasts and biodiversity researchers. His conservation efforts for the past 15 years have also led to the discovery and documentation of rare and endemic species, some previously unknown or undocumented in India.

Born in Sikkim's historical town of Yuksom in the Gyalshing district, Bhutia became fascinated with the insect as a child, intently gazing at it as it fluttered in his garden.

Years later, in 2010, he began working for its conservation.

However, it was tough collecting data as studies and resources were both limited. Soon, he came in contact with a dozen others, all of them butterfly conservationists. They formed an NGO, 'Butterflies and Moths of Sikkim and Nature Conservation Society', in 2011.

They worked across the state, spreading awareness about the conservation of butterflies. A 'Northeast Butterfly Meet' held in Assam in 2014 inspired them to organise their own. In 2015, their NGO held its first 'Butterfly Meet of Sikkim' in Yuksom in 2015. It drew 90 people from all over the country. School students were also involved.

The 'Butterfly Man of Sikkim', as the locals call Bhutia, recalls how they taught children about the lives of butterflies and how they work for their conservation. "The meeting helped us collect data on the butterflies found in Sikkim. It was the first step in conservation where we shared our knowledge with students. After touring Sikkim, we had a fair idea where to find which species," says Bhutia, who considers Assam lepidopterist Monsoon Jyoti Gogoi his mentor.