I think it probably originally opened as just the butterfly and insects. The entrance lay-out is pretty weird, where after buying your ticket at the entrance you then view a lot of lizards and some aviaries before entering the gift shop which is the start and finish point for the whole rest of the park. The impression I got was that the gift shop was the original entrance (from where you go straight to the butterfly walk-through) and the lizards and aviary area was a later addition in the front.
It does seem popular, I don't know what the main attraction inside would be because it now seems fairly evenly divided between butterflies and reptiles (hence, I guess, why it now called the Melaka Butterfly and Reptile Park).
Suffice to say I would be pleased to own this place myself, and there's not many collection in Asia I would say that about.
