This tiny, rare butterfly, the Miami Blue, has only one place on Earth to live safely, well as safely as it can in a hostile world for butterflies, the Florida Keys.
Today the USFWS gave this butterfly about the size of your thumbnail, a little smile and a little wink and said, "Ok, we will protect you for 240 days."
This emergency action came only after many years of ignoring the problems that it faced.
The agency has been targeted by countless environmental groups since 1984, for its failure to protect the butterfly, which by now, has barley enough genetic pool left to sustain it, with less than 50 adults remaining and a new invader in the form of non native iguanas, who eat the flowers that the butterfly needs to live.
Thanks to all of the passionate people and environmental groups who kept after FWS and perhaps, for a moment at least, giving the Miami Blue a tiny chance.
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