Long live the monarch butterflies! Mexico has waged a tough battle against those who indirectly killed these colorful creatures within one of their paradises, the "butterfly forest" long targeted by illegal logging.
Long live the butterflies monarch! Mexico has waged a tough battle against those who indirectly killed these colorful creatures within one of their paradises, the "forest of butterflies"Long targeted by deforestation illegal.
But there is good news. The environmental police of the National Gendarmerie have avoided the illegal logging of 94% of the forests, the winter habitat of this species of butterfly.
Un intervention necessary since between May 2016 and February 2017, 15,8 hectares were lost: 13,8 hectares of trees were destroyed by strong winds, 1,35 were hit by drought and 0,65 hectares were illegally felled in inside of areas protected.
So Mexico has decided to run for cover by having the environmental police intervene. Since last year, the results have been important: illegal culls have been completely eradicated in 16 national protected areas, where there has been a great deployment of forces. And it was also thanks to this massive control intervention that the butterflies monarch they still have their home.
La Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Book it covers over 56.259 hectares, of which 13.552 are very rich in butterflies. These forests in fact constitute their winter habitat. It is located in the eastern part of the state of Michoacán,
Here the butterflies gather in the trees and on the grass creating a truly extraordinary spectacle. Their migration is one of the most fascinating mysteries, the butterflies arrive in Mexico at the end of October from the United States, in search of a mild climate to spend the winter.
It is one of the most important protected areas of the protection program. The area, since 2008, has been declared UNESCO World Heritage Site precisely because of the great presence of butterflies monarch that pour into the reserve every winter. The reserve was created to protect the winter habitat of monarch butterflies, and covers over 56.000 hectares of land.
Given the success of the protection program, another 60 forests and protected areas have been entrusted to the Mexican environmental police. Their intervention, in addition to safeguarding thehabitat of butterflies, made it possible to recover approximately 4.000 cubic meters of timber illegally obtained from protected areas.
READ also:
- THE COLORFUL MONARCH BUTTERFLY: TRAVEL 5 THOUSAND KILOMETERS TO RETURN HOME
- BUTTERFLY FOREST: A WONDER OF NATURE THAT RISKS TO DISAPPEAR (VIDEO)
The butterfly forest today is an even more beautiful place.
Francesca Mancuso
