India, June 9 -- Known for being a habitat of big and powerful predators, Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR) also has a soft corner for delicate winged beauties, if the number of butterfly species found there is any indication.

"The butterfly species count has reached 180 here," said wildlife biologist Vipin Saini, who compiled the data. India, overall, is home to 1,500 species of butterflies.

As per a survey done by teams from the University of Lucknow, the species count stands at over 110 in Dudhwa.

Butterflies, also known as bio-indicators, are extremely sensitive to climate change and prefer being in a healthy environment. An increase in their number and species is suggestive of better ecology at DTR, which ranked fourth in India for tiger...