From November the 4th to the 9th, the ICBES 2018 (International Conference of Butterflies Exhibitors and Suppliers) was held in Malindi (Kenya). The Conference, organized by Kipepeo Butterfly Project, has brought together experts from more than 17 countries from both the official (museums and universities) and private (zoos and breeders). The Mariposario de Benalmádena and the Mariposario del Drago, represented by Asunción Gómez (Technical Director), has been the only Spanish representation in the Conference.
Among many other interesting topics that have been exposed, we have been able to know in situ the conservation project that the Kipepeo Butterfly Project and the National Museum of Kenya are carrying out in Arabuko Sokoke, the most important coastal forest in East Africa and that is seriously threatened by economic interests. The objective of the project is to train local communities in the breeding of native butterflies, thus providing a means of subsistence compatible with the sustainable use of the forest. Currently, 70% of the breeders are women.
