The California pipevine swallowtail butterfly was close to extinct before California Academy of Sciences aquatic biologist, Tim Wong stepped in and took things into his own hands.
The California pipevine swallowtail butterfly was disappearing
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Until biologist Tim Wong decided to repopulate it in his back yard
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The butterflies only feed on one plant – the California pipevine, so Wong transplanted it into his yard
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He built a greenhouse that had all the perfect conditions for butterflies to grow
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Then brought in 20 caterpillars
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And they began their long process of maturation
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Where a caterpillar forms a chrysalis, until it finally turns into a butterfly
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Now, 3 years later, Wong’s butterfly home is thriving and San Francisco is seeing more of these butterflies every day
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“Each year since 2012, we’ve seen more butterflies surviving in the garden, flying around, laying eggs, successfully pupating, and emerge the following year,” said Wong
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“That’s a good sign that our efforts are working!”