Kota Marudu's rare phenomenon of thousands of yellow butterflies awes passers-by

 By Olivia Miwil - May 17, 2022 @ 9:03pm

Nurul Asna Hidayah taking picture during the unusual phenomenon whereby thousands of yellow butterflies are seen flying along Kota Marudu road. - Pic by Nurul Asna Hidayah.

KOTA MARUDU: For Nurul Asna Hidayah, the phenomenon of thousands of yellow butterflies flying along Kota Marudu Road here is mesmerising.

"Initially my friend Nur Safuhah Yusoff asked about the 'falling yellow leaves', but as we went further, there were more of them.

"From the forests to the road, those butterflies were flying. Those butterflies even hit the car windscreens. The road surface was full of them," she said, describing her footage taken a few days ago as merely a tiny fraction of the phenomenon.

Perak-born Nurul, who is in Sabah for a community project in rural areas, added that it was her first time witnessing such an incident. She hoped to know more about it.

Locals have told her that it was the 'Kolibambang Tosilou' or 'Bambayangan Osilou' season, and there would be time where those butterflies are white in colour.

"An uncle who stopped by the road had also said that the phenomenon occurred every 20 years.

"However, another 70-year-old man who has been selling roast corn since young said it was his first time seeing it. He also claimed that it happened in March and the butterflies disappeared after that, but they came again this month."

Nurul said such an experience is inexplicable as it is a personal experience, subjective and informal.

She is also hoping friends and experts in zoology and entomology would share their knowledge about the phenomenon.