Guwahati, Sept. 13 -- Barasha Das

"An angelic land!" That's how naturalist and wildlife photographer Sarangapani Neog describes the almost 21 square kilometre area of Hoollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary in Assam, commonly known as Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary (GWLS). In this protected land of the Assam plains, alluvial semi-evergreen forest and its patches of wet evergreen woodland, he has recorded 280 butterfly species, a collection now forming the second edition of his soon-to-be-published book,Butterflies of Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary.

In this interview with Mongabay India, Neog shares where his fascination with butterflies started, the evolving nature of lepidoptera studies, the ideal time to observe butterflies at GWLS, and butterfly tourism...