Sikkim polled to decide the state butterfly, and yes, the people have chosen Duke Blue Duke as their state pride. In a first-of-its-kind citizen poll, Blue Duke received 57 % votes, edging past Krishna Peacock, who received 43 %. Apart from public voting, the Forest Department of Sikkim had an expert committee of 11 members giving 6-5 votes for Blue Duke. Both two finalists were shortlisted from 720 entries. Re-discovered in 2012 (Moore, 1858) at Tadong, Gangtok by Nosang Limboo, the butterfly man of Sikkim, had initiated the proposal to come up with a state butterfly concept for the state government. Bassarona durga, as it is generically called, belongs to the Bassarona genus and the Nymphaliedia family is a four-footed butterfly. PS Golay, the Chief Minister of Sikkim, officially announced Blue Duke as the state butterfly on the occasion of the World Environment Day event held at Saramsa on June 6, 2022. FOR MORE CLICK SIKKIM BUTTERFLIES
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