Oregon Zoo Raises Endangered Butterflies to be Released into the Wild

March 2008 marks the second year in a row that the Oregon Zoo’s butterfly conservation station has successfully reared Taylor’s checkerspot larvae, making significant progress in the effort to save the threatened Northwest butterfly.

For four years prior, the zoo collaborated with WDFW to develop husbandry protocols and raise the checkerspots. In 2007, the zoo and WDFW released 199 checkerspots into the wild. This year, as the larvae continue to flourish, the zoo hopes to let loose close to 460 checkerspots. This is the first year the release will consist of both caterpillars and pupae.

Once abundant in the Northwest, Taylor’s checkerspots are now listed as a species of concern in Washington state and are under review for federal listing. Today, their range is limited to isolated pockets of upland prairie throughout the Northwest. Without large, connected populations, the butterflies struggle to survive.

In addition to conserving Taylor’s checkerspots, the zoo has achieved great success in its work with the endangered Oregon silverspot, raising and releasing thousands of these butterflies in the past nine years.

As a charter member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Butterfly Initiative, which includes nearly 50 national zoos and aquariums, the Oregon Zoo is strongly committed to butterfly conservation.

For more information, visit the Xerces Society.