The number of monarch butterflies in Mexico over the winter climbed last year but remained at a level that can’t ensure the troubled pollinator’s long-term survival in North America, conservation groups said.
An annual count conducted by World Wildlife Fund Mexico and others found that monarchs covered 7.24 acres in their overwintering area in central Mexican forest, a 64 percent increase from the prior year.
That’s good news, pollinator conservation groups said, but the area still falls short of the 15 acres scientists say is needed to avoid the risk of extinction in North America.
“While an increase is great news, the numbers in Mexico are still well below historic norms,” said Scott Black, director of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, in a news release.
