A major discovery was made in the afternoon on December 21, 2019 by inspector Liao Chin-shan of the Taiwan Purple Crow Butterfly Conservation Association, as he investigated into the butterfly habitat of Seshe Valley. After one field trip, when sorting out the photos made, Liao spotted a photo of “double-branded crow” (Euploea sylvester swinhoei) with a “FC922” mark on it. The association later confirmed that the butterfly was captured, marked, and released at the Flying Cow Farm on September 22 this year by the association’s president Li Ming-chung. A total of 98 butterflies were marked and released on that day, and after 90 days one was finally found. All of the association’s volunteers were excited, because this is the first time a purple crow butterfly was discovered to rest in the area’s valley in winter time - after flying for more than 173 km. This is strong proof that the butterflies do come from the north to Maolin - all theories about the migration paths of the butterflies are now true. The association’s vice president Chen Rui-hsiang said that nearly 10,000 purple crow butterflies are marked and released in central and northern Taiwan each year. The effort has finally been repaid.
The Maolin National Scenic Area Administration noted that this is a major breakthrough since the purple crow butterfly conservation and monitoring program was launched in 2011. While Maolin’s butterfly valleys were damaged severely by Typhoon Morakot in 2009, the number of butterflies at the valley has gradually increased and moved towards stability by the year. Taking the largest Seshe Valley for instance, a total of 180,000 butterflies were documented last year. The number goes beyond 200,000 this year - a peak in recent years. There are nearly 400,000 butterflies in Maolin now. To protect the species and the environment, visitors are forbidden to enter the valleys for now.
There are many purple crow butterflies in Maolin Ecopark these days, and such a magnificent scene is expected to last until the lunar New Year. On a bright, clear day, it is possible to see butterflies dancing all over the sky, or exercising their wings on the ground.
