The population of monarch butterflies in Mexico increased 64% this winter, compared with the same period in 2025, offering a glimmer of hope for an insect considered at risk of extinction.
“The monarch butterfly is the symbol of the trilateral relationship between Mexico, the United States and Canada,” Mexican environment minister Alicia Bárcena Ibarra said at a news conference on Tuesday.
“Its conservation is a collective commitment we must maintain for the future.”.
Every fall, tens of millions of the butterflies travel nearly 3,000 miles from Canada, across the US and finally to the forests of western Mexico.
There, the orange insects cover entire trees and flutter through the air in spectacular fashion.
In February, two environmental groups filed a lawsuit to compel the Trump administration to set a date for protections.
“This means that the forests that represent the fundamental habitat for the monarch butterfly’s hibernation are being protected and conserved. »