How One Man Repopulated A Rare Butterfly Species In His Backyard (10 pics)
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
Until biologist Tim Wong decided to repopulate it in his back yard
The butterflies only feed on one plant – the California pipevine, so Wong transplanted it into his yard
He built a greenhouse that had all the perfect conditions for butterflies to grow
Then brought in 20 caterpillars
And they began their long process of maturation
Where a caterpillar forms a chrysalis, until it finally turns into a butterfly
Now, 3 years later, Wong’s butterfly home is thriving and San Francisco is seeing more of these butterflies every day
“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
“That’s a good sign that our efforts are working!”
