Penang Butterfly Farm

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The Penang Butterfly Farm is more than just a tourist attraction. It is set up as a 'live museum' to educate the public as well as a research centre to develop breeding methods. The Farm's founder David Goh explains the philosophy behind its operation

Butterflies are beautiful creatures of the wild. The visitor to the Penang Butterfly Farm, finding himself surrounded by a myriad of fluttering butterflies within a seemingly natural setting, is likely to think himself in a sort of enchanted wilderness, bejeweled with the colorful gems of creation.

The main attraction of the Butterfly Farm is undoubtedly the free flying papilions in the enormous enclosure. The visitor can inspect the butterflies at close quarters as they flit around their favorite nectar plants. The exhibition of selected insects and reptiles are also crowd drawers. The visitor, having traversed this complex of displays ends up in a souvenir shop selling butterfly-related paraphernalia.

Today, the Penang Butterfly Farm is the first tropical butterfly farm ever set up in the tropical world, with an average flying population of 4000 Malaysian butterflies of 120 different species, including the rare Indian Leafl (Kallima paralekta) and the endangered Yellow Bird wing (Troides helena). Probably the most famous of Malaysian butterflies is the Rajah Brooke's Bird wing of the Papilionidae family. First discovered in Borneo in 1855 by A. R. Wallace, it was named after the first British Rajah of Sarawak.

Malay Peninsular has over 1000 recorded butterfly species, among the highest of any country in the world in relation to her small land mass. David Goh, the founder of the Penang Butterfly Farm was inspired and encouraged by Mr. Clive Farrell, owner of the Stratford Butterfly Farm at Stratford-on-Avon (birth-place of William Shakespeare) in England, to start a tropical butterfly farm in Malaysia.

The Penang Butterfly Farm is now a household name in Penang and a "must-see" for visitors since it opened in 1986. The farm located right at the end of the tourist hotel strip at Batu Ferringhi stands on a 0.8 hector site in Teluk Bahang, about 17km from George town. It has become one of the most popular stops on Penang's round island tour. The success of the Butterfly Farm as a tourist attraction has even inspired a series of similar commercial operations in Malacca, Cameron highlands and Singapore.

In spite of its general fame, the aspect of the Penang Butterfly Farm which means most to the people behind it has gained scant recognition within Malaysia. According to David Goh, "the locals only think of the Penang Butterfly Farm as a money making operation. In fact the farm is known and respected internationally as a breeding centre."

PENANG BUTTERFLY FARM 2011 ENTRANCE TICKET PRICE

ADULT: RM 27.00 per person

CHILD: RM 15.00 per person

CHILD (3 years & below): FREE ADMISSION

SENIOR CITIZEN: RM13.50 per person (proof of age required)

MYKAD/MYKID HOLDER: 33.3% discount on adult/child entrance price (upon presentation of MyKad/MyKid)

OPERATING HOURS

Monday – Friday: 9.00am – 5.30pm (Last Entry at 5.00pm)

Weekend & Public Holidays: 9.00am – 6.00pm (Last Entry at 5.30pm)

**Penang Butterfly Farm is open 365 days all year round except half day on the eve of Chinese New Year Day

Discounts are available to school bookings and other large groups. Please contact us for prior bookings and other services such as educational program which can be conducted with groups and more information to enjoy special rates.

Customer Service:

Tel : 604-885 1253

Fax : 604-885 1741

Address : 830 Jalan Teluk Bahang,

Teluk Bahang, 11050 Penang. Malaysia.

Email : info@butterfly-insect.com

INFO SOURCE: http://www.penang-online.com/