US to protect Monarch Butterfly after dramatic fall in numbers

The US Fish and Wildlife Service has moved to protect the Monarch Butterfly, after it has become imperiled through environmental problems recently.

The Monarch Butterfly. Image by William Warby / CC BY 2.0

The service will partner up with a number of groups, including the National Wildlife Found to raise awareness of the problems facing the butterfly as it fights to save the creatures from extinction. Over $3 million will be spent in total.

The move to protect the orange-and-black member of the Lepidoptera order is welcome to those who want to see the species survive because the Monarch gives clear indications on the health of our environment, CNN News reports. Monarchs rely mainly on milkweed for their habitats and food source. They migrate over several generations and travel up to 3,000 miles from the US to Mexico which is their winter home.

Less than 20 years ago, there was an estimated one billion monarch butterflies but in just over a decade that number was cut in half. Recently that number had reduced dramatically to 33 million which is a serious worry considering that several other species of butterfly, including the Xerces Blue, has vanished over the years. Among the measures being taking by the new initiative will be the planting of native milkweed and other greenery.