Wings Of Change: This Tribe In Meghalaya Protects Diverse Varieties Of Butterflies

It all began in 2008 at Bompu, in Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary, Arunachal Pradesh. I had recently left my corporate job and was on a three-week birding trip, contemplating how best to contribute to nature conservation in the next chapter of my life. There I met Arpan Sharma and Kamal Medhi of Samrakshan Charitable Trust, an NGO focused on environmental protection. Arpan invited me to collaborate on a conservation and livelihood initiative in the Garo Hills, Meghalaya. That chance encounter marked the beginning of what would become a 15-year association with the Garo tribe.

The Journey

Between 2009 and 2015, Samrakshan and Titli Trust conducted extensive biodiversity assessments across the Garo Hills. Initially, we focused on avifaunal surveys, as we believed bird tourism could provide a strong incentive for conservation. However, during our fieldwork, we were struck by the incredible diversity of butterflies—called meplip in the local language.

Since 2009, we have spent over 125 days surveying the region's butterflies and documented nearly 400 species. Some of these are rare and special, including the Zigzag Flat, Yellow Flat, Chequered Lancer, Grey Baron, Branded Yamfly, Blue Begum, Branded Yeoman, Redtail and Banded Marquis, Marbled Map, Koh-i-noor, Brahmaputra Palmfly, Jezebel Palmfly, Yellow Gorgon, Chain Swordtail, and Long-tailed Punch. Today, the Garo Hills have firmly established themselves as a "must-visit" destination for butterfly watchers in India.

The Successes

In the early stages, we focused on building capacity within the local communities, supported by Kamal Medhi and Yaranjit Deka of Samrakshan. With their participation, we mapped butterfly hotspots, trained nature guides, helped establish community-based conservation and tourism groups, and provided hospitality training.

Two local NGOs—Karawani Ecotourism and Conservation Society and Siju Ecotourism and Conservation Society—were formed in the villages of Karawani and Siju. Homestays and community-run campsites were set up in Karawani, Siju, and Gongrott, and local hosts were trained to welcome tourists.

In March 2011, a team from Bombay Natural History Society visited the region for the first time. Over the next decade, the communities hosted butterfly tours, biodiversity meets, and specialised wildlife tours focussing on butterflies, moths, birds, and herpetofauna. Vikas Sangma of Karawani emerged as a dynamic organiser and host, while Plinder Marak of Siju proved to be an outstanding naturalist, with a remarkable ability to identify birds, butterflies, and other wildlife. In 2012, we published a paper on Garo Hills butterflies, followed by a 2013 book co-authored with locals like Benson Sangma. Community pride grew, butterfly hotspot signs appeared in Karawani and Siju, and habitat protection efforts strengthened.

Citizen science also played a key role. Enthusiasts contributed their butterfly records from Garo Hills to the bioinformatics platform Butterflies of India (ifoundbutterflies.org), helping establish Karawani, Panda, Siju, Rewak, Gongrott, Maheshkhola, and Balpakram as well-known butterfly hotspots.

The Struggles

As with any long-term community engagement, challenges emerged. The women-run homestays in Karawani, the community campsite at Siju, and the bamboo huts in Gongrott—established in the early years—are no longer functional. The homestays at Karawani ran for over a decade before the women felt that the tourist traffic was not sufficient for them; the Gongrott village decided that they would prefer coal mining opportunities rather than nature-linked tourism, and the Meghalaya Tourism Board insisted on taking over the Siju Eco Campsite to build a modern, concrete inspection bungalow!

The Karawani society, which took the lead in the early years, had issues with people, which resulted in them taking a back seat in conservation and livelihood efforts.

Fortunately, adaptive solutions emerged. When Samrakshan ceased operations in the region in 2015, Titli Trust continued supporting local efforts. As interest in South Garo Hills grew, more homestays opened in Baghmara and nearby areas.

The Siju Inspection Bungalow was handed over to a local youth group to manage, offsetting the loss of the community campsite. With the Karawani society stepping back, Siju's youth group took on a leadership role in organising and hosting visitors.

The COVID-19 pandemic delayed plans, cancelling a 2020 butterfly meet, which was held a year later before the second wave. In April 2025, the Bangalore Butterfly Club visited Garo Hills, enjoying a memorable trip and sparking hopes for tourism revival.

Looking Ahead

Despite the ups and downs of this decade-and-a-half, one thing has remained constant: the Garo tribe's belief that butterflies—meplip—deserve to be protected. These beautiful creatures continue to serve as ambassadors for the region's extraordinary biodiversity drawing visitors to experience the natural wonders of the Garo Hills.