The survival of the endangered monarch butterfly depends on conservation beyond borders

Habitat degradation, insufficient food and water and climate change have led to a decline in the number of North American monarch butterflies, which is now on the IUCN’s Red List. (Shutterstock)

The iconic North American monarch butterfly Danaus plexippus plexippus was recently listed in the IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species, signalling that its ongoing decline could lead to extinction. The compounding effects of habitat degradation, insufficient food and water and climate change have led to these dwindling numbers.