Monarch butterflies are now an endangered species
The IUCN also announced that sturgeon are in rapid decline, while tiger populations are stabilizing.
A beloved visitor to summer gardens is officially an endangered species.
The migratory monarch butterfly—the iconic subspecies common to North America—was declared endangered today by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the global leading authority on the status of biological diversity.
The butterfly, known for its twice-yearly, 2,500-mile journey across the continent between its summer and winter grounds, has declined by between 23 and 72 percent in the past 10 years, according to the IUCN.
Though the monarch has long been considered under threat, its listing on the IUCN Red List—the inventory of species’ conservation status—marks the first time it has been officially declared at risk of extinction.
“It’s hard for people to imagine that something that shows up
