Aiding Sumatra with the Ketambe Butterfly Farm

The Ketambe Butterfly Farm

A project more than ten years in the making, the Ketambe Butterfly Farm is now helping to protect Sumatra’s ecosystems and communities.

The Sumatran ecosystem is in danger, and butterflies are helping save it. The largest island within Indonesian territory, Sumatra, is home to Sumatran tigers, rhinos, orangutans, Bornean elephants, thousands of native plant species, and even more incredible invertebrate species. Deforestation, poaching, and industrialization threaten to erase Sumatra’s native flora and fauna. In 2019, Butterfly Pavilion launched the Ketambe Butterfly Farm in the small city of Ketambe, Indonesia. More than ten years in the making, this project is moving to protect endangered species, protect Sumatra’s ecosystems, and support local culture.   Building Ketambe was not easy. More than ten years ago, it started as nothing more than a dream. Butterfly Pavilion partnered with Wildlife Protection Solutions and Leuser Conservation Form in Indonesia to make our dream a reality. After working with the Indonesian Government, the Ministry of Environment, and various stakeholders, Butterfly Pavilion finally purchased the land and began building.  The Ketambe Butterfly Farm sustainably raises butterflies for Association of Zoos and Aquariums accredited zoos. This lessens the demand for wild-caught butterflies and creates jobs for the local population. By selling chrysalises, the butterfly farm raises money to invest in research, minimize threats to Sumatran wildlife, and provide community resources. For example, funds produced by the farm have been used to hire more rangers to prevent wildlife from being poached. Proceeds have also been used to fund wildlife surveys that collect important data needed for conservation efforts. 

Shiran Hershcovich, Butterfly Pavilion’s Lepidopterist Manager, recently visited the Ketambe Butterfly Farm. It was her fourth visit to the farm over her last three years with Butterfly Pavilion. Shiran visits the Butterfly Farm to help train employees, specifically in butterfly breeding and research. This ensures that the butterflies raised there are healthy and promotes overall welfare and sound science at the farm. Butterflies are severely understudied, and projects like the Ketambe Butterfly Farm provide opportunities for scientists worldwide to understand just how vital these creatures are. However, the benefits do not stop at the boundaries of Indonesia. Each chrysalis sold has a butterfly that will emerge and serve as an ambassador for its species. The general public can observe and connect with a butterfly they would never see in person if not in Sumatra. At Butterfly Pavilion, each chrysalis that arrives at our butterfly house is hung in the chrysalis room so that guests can witness the miracle of butterfly emergence. Guests learn about where the butterfly came from, its role in the Sumatran ecosystem, and why it is worth saving. As Shiran says, Sumatra is home to many amazing species of butterflies that have not been seen in butterfly houses, like Butterfly Pavilion. Bringing these new species in opens up more opportunities for outreach, conservation, and stories previously untold.  Shiran has a vision for Ketambe. She dreams it will be a jumping-off point for invertebrate research in Sumatra. Invertebrates are vastly understudied worldwide and commonly fall by the wayside compared to vertebrate research. The Ketambe Butterfly Farm will create sustainable livelihoods for locals and protect Sumatra’s threatened ecosystems. Shiran states that everyone involved in the project is a stakeholder in the conservation of native wildlife, and by continuing to understand invertebrates, everyone can begin to make a difference in the lives of these crucial animals. We depend on invertebrates for life-sustaining ecosystem services like pollination, and so do people from all over the world. Protecting invertebrate cultures does not just support a healthy ecosystem, but also supports the livelihoods of local populations. 

Finally, Shiran shared a story from her last visit with us. As she was leaving the butterfly farm, she walked down the road and looked up to see an orangutan. She recalled what a special experience it was to support and conserve such a magical environment where one can go from seeing colorful butterflies to majestic orangutans within a few steps of each other. This breathtaking encounter can remind us about the interconnectivity of life. Orangutans spend most of their lives in trees to avoid predation, and their diet consists of invertebrates, fruit, and vegetation. Invertebrates pollinate most of the fruit and vegetation that orangutans use as shelter and sustenance. In turn, orangutans disperse the seeds of any vegetation they eat, which eventually grow to become food and shelter for invertebrates. We cannot have one without the other; every action toward conserving one form of life saves another.  If you see the value of invertebrate research and want to support Butterfly Pavilion’s international projects, consider becoming a donor. Every donation supports our conservation and research efforts at home and around the globe. Please visit the link below to learn more about Butterfly Pavilion’s international efforts.