Taiwan closes freeway lane for earliest butterfly protection in decade

Taipei, March 12 (CNA) Taiwan enacted its earliest freeway butterfly-protection measures in nearly a decade on Wednesday, closing

The lane was closed from 8:50 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on the northbound stretch between the 253 and 251 kilometer markers in Linnei, Yunlin County, marking the earliest closure before the usual peak around the Tomb Sweeping Festival in early April, said the Taiwan Purple Crow Ecological Preservation Association.

Over 30,000 butterflies passed through the area in the morning, with as many as 690 butterflies per minute at one point, the association reported.

To protect the butterflies, the Freeway Bureau also set up a 1,100-meter protective net and closed the outer lane once butterfly traffic exceeded 250 per minute, adding that the closure remained in effect until the butterfly density decreased.

This year's early migration is attributed to a colder-than-usual winter followed by warmer weather more recently, the association said, predicting a significant increase in butterfly numbers from March 20 until the end of the month.