Crippled butterfly learned to fly again with prosthetic wings

[Marshy]

 

Fluttering on the wings of hope is the inspiring story of William, a male monarch butterfly who, in 2020, emerged from his chrysalis at the Burger Butterfly Garden with a defect. As he emerged, it became painfully clear that his wings were severely deformed, leaving him especially vulnerable.

 

But thanks to the ingenuity and compassion of a dedicated team, William’s tale was far from over. Taking to Imgur, Anthony Tracey, known online as A Midnight Librarian, documented how the team at the butterfly garden performed surgery on the grounded monarch to give him a second chance at life in the air.

 

William was gently placed in a freezer, inducing a state of suspended animation that allowed the experts to do their work without causing distress. With steady hands, they carefully removed the damaged wing tissue, preparing for what would become William’s new set of wings.

 

 

A successful quadruple wing transplant.

 

 

Using a special adhesive, the team attached prosthetic wings to William’s tiny body. These attachments came from elderly, deceased butterflies that used to live at the garden.

 

As William stirred from his slumber, the garden held its collective breath—and the results were nothing short of magical. Not only did William regain the ability to fly, but he also got a girlfriend and went on to produce offspring.

 

Alas, since the average lifespan of native monarchs is eight months, William has long ascended beyond our earthly plane. As the park puts it, he traded his prosthetics for angel wings.

 

Still, this achievement shows how our actions, both big and small, can make a profound difference in the lives of creatures around us. You can call it the butterfly effect, if you will.

 

• https://megaphone.upworthy.com/p/butterfly-quadruple-wing-rp-2 
• https://www.distractify.com/p/butterfly-quadruple-wing-transplant 
• https://biggergarden.com/story-of-gardener-repairing-butterfly-wing/

 

 

 

Opening image: generated on AI