Blonde Karst Regions Bantimurung as The Kingdom Of Butterfly or moth kingdom, is being threatened with extinction. Because the activity of hunting and catching the winged animals were thin and elegant, the increase along with increasing population activity in the tourism area which is berhawa cool.
Entering Bantimurung tourism located in Maros regency, about 40 kilometers from the city of Makassar, has become a hallmark will be greeted by dozens of species of butterflies are moving around since visitors enter the gates of the tourist area.
No wonder, if the animal carcasses into a beautiful print is also one of the souvenir to take home or give to friends. Business carcasses butterfly wings lovely, have started to bloom since the 1980s. Animal species of insects were framed in plastic and sold to decorate the walls. Some sellers claim that the business had been theirs for generations.
Decorative butterflies sometimes combined with some types of insects such as centipedes, beetles and so on, seen everywhere: in the restaurant, on the porch, until the overhang the road.
As a sweetener decor, butterfly display packaging was very interesting. Moreover, the selling price is relatively cheap, depending on how many patterns and colors of butterflies in the frame. For one tail butterfly color pattern mediocre, generally offered from Rp 2,000 to Rp 5,000. But there is also the price could get millions, if the display is the butterfly wings that have a very beautiful style.
Butterfly business for local residents is very tempting. How not, begin the process of arrest, until the matter preservation assemble cardboard or plywood and a sheet of plastic does not require great expense, can memberihan However the fairly decent income. Difficult, perhaps just looking for a butterfly species that have a beautiful style. That's it.
Business due to the butterfly, the butterfly population in Bantimurung even from year to year increasingly shrinking, both in terms of quantity and species. Estimated, butterfly species that survive in the tourist area which has a waterfall, now only reach the 135.
Whereas previously, zoologist Alfred Russel Wallace from the UK (1856) after doing research in the area, found about 270 species of butterflies, or about 10.8 percent of butterfly species in Indonesia at that time. No wonder if he called Bantimurung as The Kingdom of Butterfly, because in this region there are various types and species of butterflies.
In fact, Bantimurung also known as the Butterfly Park in the world's most complete. But the title as The Kingdom of Butterfly is now a distant memory, because the fair-bodied species of insects that began in danger of extinction.
Preserve
In response to the threat of extinction of this fauna, the government (Pemkab) Maros struggle trying to tread a tricky people aware of the importance of conservation of the butterfly is one of the chain of the ecosystem in tourist areas Bantimurung.
For local governments, the issue of butterflies packaged into a dilemma. Because, on the one hand, to preserve animal habitats that half the number of species extinction has been a great experience, but on the other hand, if the business community prohibits the butterfly it means limiting the additional income that most people are farmers.
However, maintaining natural ecosystems is a necessity that should not be negotiable. As a first step, a butterfly exhibit was built as a container biakannya developer. One tangkar space, usually containing three to five pairs of butterfly species was considered nearly extinct.
At least, from the hundreds of species of butterflies in the region Bantimurung, there are five types that are considered truly rare, so determined to protect. All five species of butterfly that is Troides Hypolitus, Troides Helena, Troides Halipron, Papilio Adamanthis, and Chetosia Myrana.
From the information developed in the field, known types of Papilio and Atlas also includes rare butterflies can still be found in a wide area Bantimurung approximately 118 hectares, although very difficult to find. The characteristics of Papilio butterfly wings filled the colors very charming. While the Atlas moth has a very wide wings. The locals called the Atlas of butterflies in the butterfly bat, because its wings wide and dark.
Butterfly main options which include rare, in a wire cage and the big bear bred by the Center of Natural Resources Conservation (BKSDA) and South Sulawesi Tourism Office Maros. Breeding system was later introduced to the public in the environment and surrounding Pattunuang Cave, so no longer do hunting. Furthermore, as the responsibility of the local community were also asked breed butterflies in tourist areas are also protected forest areas.
For the community, which no longer ditangkar butterfly species are rare, but are considered to attract visitors to buy. So no longer do the butterfly hunt alone as done in previous years.
Approximately 80 percent of the number of butterflies from the captive that was preserved for subsequent sale to tourists in the region Bantimurung bath. While the other 20 percent is released into the habitat of origin.
