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U.S. to List Monarch Butterfly as Threatened Under Endangered Species Act Amid Declining Numbers

Dec 10, 2024, 10:43 PM

U.S. wildlife officials announced plans to list the monarch butterfly, the iconic orange and black pollinator known for its marathon migration across North America, as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. The decision by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service follows years of warnings from environmentalists about the monarch's declining population, which has dropped dramatically in the past decade due to habitat loss from farming and urban development, widespread pesticide use, and climate change. The agency intends to add the butterfly to the threatened species list by the end of next year after an extensive public comment period. Conservationists view this move as a vital step toward preventing the monarch from facing extinction, with some populations at risk of disappearing by 2080.