Monarch Butterfly Population Slowly Increasing

The original article comes from the Courthouse News Service. You can read the full article by clicking here. 

(CN) – Monarch butterflies from east of the Rocky Mountains received a reprieve on Wednesday as a recent survey count showed their population increased by more than 144 percent, a dramatic increase from previous years.

News of the uptick arrived shortly after it was reported that the western population of the monarch butterfly had dropped to an all-time low.

Since the 1990s, populations of the iconic orange and black butterfly have been on a downward spiral mainly due to habitat destruction and commercial use of pesticides, according to the Center for Biological Diversity.

The butterflies migrate to warmer climates during the winter months and most North American monarchs make their way to Oyamel fir forests on 12 mountaintops in central Mexico, according to researchers…

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