The butterflies at the Otago Museum’s Tropical Forest will not be replenished during a $2.5million redevelopment, but its birds and tarantulas will live in an animal-friendly construction zone until the rebuild is complete.
Otago Museum living environments communicator Eden Gray said no new butterflies would be released during construction and those in the forest at present would be left to live out their natural life-spans of one week to one month.
"The terrapins, quails, java sparrows and tarantulas will all remain in their forest home during renovations."
The forest refurbishment would focus on cleaning and rebuilding mostly behind-the-scenes areas that were integral to the forest’s operations, she said.
About 90,000 people visited the space each year and changes to the forest might go unnoticed.
"They will all contribute to the ongoing and improved welfare of the forest and its inhabitants."
Fifty new science interactives would also be a feature of the science centre when it reopened.
