Dartmoor Zoo is undertaking a project to reintroduce the black-veined white butterfly to the United Kingdom, a species officially declared extinct in the country in 1925. The butterfly was first listed as a British species during the reign of King Charles II.
Recent sightings of the butterfly have been noted on the edges of London in June 2023, offering a glimmer of hope for its potential revival. This initiative aims to bolster biodiversity in a region described as one of the most nature-depleted in the world.
"We have done an awful lot of damage to UK wildlife and biodiversity, and bringing one single butterfly back is just as important as reintroducing pine martens, lynx or even wolves and brown bears," stated a representative from Dartmoor Zoo. "You've got to start somewhere - pollinators are the absolute foundation of food systems, and plant life, and nature as a whole."
The effort highlights the broader challenge of conservation in the UK and underscores the critical role of pollinators in maintaining ecosystems and food production.