A Chinese park’s recent program to hold a “firefly show”, where visitors can enjoy the spectacular view of thousands of fireflies shimmering inside an enclosure, has been condemned by conservationists in the country and thereby called off.
Staff of a park in Changsha, Hunan Province confirmed Saturday that their scheduled plan to hold a firefly show was cancelled. The park earlier received a petition letter from the city’s animal protection organizations urging them to cancel the event.
A month ago a firefly-themed park in Shanghai was also halted due to complaints that the park could cause even more environmental damage, and concerns about overcrowding. Similar events in cities like Hangzhou, Wuhan, Qingdao and Nanchang were all prone to criticism.
Fu Xinhua, an ecological professor commented that the way the organizers obtain the fireflies is liable to cause damage to the insects, and the negative consequences of such events to the natural habitat are also immeasurable.
