UNITED STATES: NEW YORK CITY'S PARKS DEPARTMENT RE-INTRODUCE THE LUNA MOTH TO CENTRAL PARK

Record ID: 337713

  • Title: UNITED STATES: NEW YORK CITY'S PARKS DEPARTMENT RE-INTRODUCE THE LUNA MOTH TO CENTRAL PARK
  • Date: 17th July 1998
  • Summary: NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (JULY 20, 1998) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) 1. LV TRAFFIC ON OUTSKIRTS OF CENTRAL PARK WEST 0.10 2. SLV ROLLER BLADERS AND CYCLISTS IN CENTRAL PARK 0.18 3. PAN HORSES IN CENTRAL PARK 0.28 4. CU FAMILY IN PARK ZOOM OUT TO VIEW OF MANHATTAN SKYLINE 0.36 5. CLOSE-UP OF MOTHS 0.44 6. SV VIEW OF PARK RANGER WITH MOT
  • Embargoed: 1st August 1998 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: REUTERS TELEVISION (RTV)
  • City:
  • Country: USA
  • Reuters ID: LVA1UGTHCAEVRIJLDB8DEZ2ZEBF4
  • Story Text: On the 29th anniversary of the lunar landing, New York City's Parks Department has released the first of several hundred Luna moths into Central Park.

    They are being reintroduced to the city as part of an effort to return native species to the urban landscape; The lunas, giants among moths have a wing span of four inches or more.They are being re-introduced as part of an experiment by the City's Park Rangers.

    Bram Gunther , director of the Urban Park Rangers, says New York City has 28,000 acres of parkland, 8,000 of those are natural lands.He's hoping the re-introduction of species once common in the area will help educate New Yorkers and make them understand the importance of a natural eco-system.

    The lunar moths are only one species of the project of releases, screech owls and wood frogs are also being re-introduced.

    So far, unobtusive species are being chosen, lunar moths and screech owls come out at night and are thus less likely to be bothered by the hundreds of visitors to Central Park.

    The park is surrounded by an 'inner road' used by heavy car traffic during the day, but also used by hundreds of roller bladers, runners and cyclists on 'off' hours.

    Colin Frew, a runner, feels that nature in Central Park plays an important role in the 'sanity'of Manhattanites.

    Construction work and exhaust fumes have played a big part in scaring off the wild life from the inner city areas.

    The moths have been kept 'on-ice' for several weeks to stop them from aging too quickly before the release.Gunther hopes the young adults will seek out natural habitat like the hickory trees and lay eggs.

    Park Rangers were given help in releasing the fragile, lunar creatures by some of New York City's children and celestial actress and naturalist Isabella Rosellini.

    The rangers say they will continue to introduce more native plants and animals and are on the lookout for good candidates for next year.They hope, however, that not every species once found in the city will have a shot at coming back; black bears, rattlesnakes and native cockroaches have not made the list.
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