Butterflies are amazing. These fragile little creatures sport beautifully-colored wings, and they flutter through our lives on happy summer days. But what happens when they don’t? At present, monarchs only have a 5 percent survival rate in the wild. We’re unsure if our hero knew this monarch butterfly fact, but we are certain she did an amazing thing.
While camping in the Adirondack mountains, a travel vlogger named Sara spotted an injured monarch butterfly stuck under the headlight of her car.
Sara managed to get the weak and injured butterfly to grasp a tiny stick. Once the butterfly had a firm grip, Sara pulled him out slowly. When he was finally free, Sara noted that he had an injured wing and appeared to have difficulty flying. She chronicled the rescue on her TikTok channel in three parts. The first part is the initial rescue and a request for information about monarch butterflies.
Sara found the injured monarch butterfly still hanging out next to her car the following day. Realizing that he could not fly due to his injuries, she decided to adopt him. She named him Boba and went to the local pet store to buy an enclosure to make Boba a nice home. She recorded an update for her fans with the details of her adventures with Boba.
In part three of this saga, Sara realized that Boba was fluttering around her car more as the days passed. He seemed to have gained his strength back. Though sad, she took Boba to a nearby field where other butterflies were hanging out. Sitting quietly, she let Boba make his own decision to fly and be free.
The Future Of Monarch Butterflies Might Be In Jeopardy
Monarch butterflies are migratory. They undertake a journey to travel between 1,200 and 2,800 miles and sometimes more. Their travels take them from breeding grounds in the United States and Canada to central Mexico. They hibernate there from November until around mid-March. They are one of the most recognizable species of butterfly, with distinctive orange and black wings.
Recent concerns have been raised about declining milkweed fields. Milkweed is the only plant in which monarch butterflies will lay their eggs. If these majestic critters have no place to lay eggs, their numbers could decrease significantly.
We have seen wonderful tales of monarch butterflies as they interact with humans. One woman used her skills as an artist to craft a prosthetic wing for an injured butterfly. Kayla Brown developed a “friendship” with an injured monarch butterfly she named Phoenix. Rose Cochran is known around her town as the “Monarch Butterfly Lady.” Rose nurtures monarch caterpillars in her hair salon and has raised more than 300 butterflies so far!
Although Sara’s actions may not have saved the entire species, she did save one majestic monarch butterfly to make a difference. People raise monarch caterpillars in their homes and yards. Farmers cultivate milkweed “gardens” to make breeding grounds. People are working together to make a difference every day, one butterfly at a time.
You can find the source of this story’s featured image here.
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