The 21st Show

The Monarch Butterfly Is Now An Endangered Species

Produced by Aden Choate
 
Monarch butterflies land on branches at Monarch Grove Sanctuary in Pacific Grove, Calif., Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2021. On Thursday, July 21, 2022, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature said migrating monarch butterflies have moved closer to extinction in the past decade – prompting scientists to officially designate them as “endangered.

Monarch butterflies land on branches at Monarch Grove Sanctuary in Pacific Grove, Calif., Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2021. On Thursday, July 21, 2022, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature said migrating monarch butterflies have moved closer to extinction in the past decade – prompting scientists to officially designate them as “endangered." AP Photo/Nic Coury

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Monarch population numbers have declined significantly over the course of the last several decades. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature recently added the migratory monarch butterfly to its Red List of Endangered Species. This is the first time the species has been officially declared at risk of extinction.

The 21st spoke with two experts about this development.

Guests:

Anna Walker 
Lead the Monarch Butterfly Assessment, IUCN Species Survival Commission Butterfly and Moth Specialist Group
Species Survival Officer at the New Mexico BioPark Society

David Zaya
Plant Ecologist, Illinois Natural History Survey

 

Prepared for web by Zainab Qureshi

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