S002-EEUU TRASPLANTE ALA MARIPOSA MONARCA
STORY: A majestic Monarch butterfly with a broken wing got a second chance at flight after rescuers in New York performed a delicate transplant surgery.
The two rescuers from the Sweetbriar Nature Center in Smithtown undertook the intricate procedure with the use of basic tools such as scissors, glue, corn starch and a replacement wing from a dead butterfly in a vivarium.
The transplant surgery took about five minutes to complete and the Monarch began flapping its wings moments later.
According to the rescuers, the Monarch butterfly has no nerve receptors or blood flow at the end of the wings so the procedure was harmless.
The rescue comes as millions of Monarch butterflies prepare to migrate south ahead of the winter season. They fly some 4,500 km (2,800 miles) to hibernate and reproduce in the temperate woods of central Mexico.
Reuters was able to verify the location and date of the video by original file metadata from source which shows date and GPS coordinates.
DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES
SHOWS: SMITHTOWN, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (OCTOBER 1, 2025) (SWEETBRIAR NATURE CENTER - No Archive / No Resale / Must on-screen courtesy Sweetbriar Nature Center)
1. RESCUERS CUTTING JAGGED EDGES OF BROKEN WING
2. WHITE FLASH
3. RESCUERS MEASURING UP AND TRIMMING WING TO BE TRANSPLANTED ON
4. WHITE FLASH
5. ADHESIVE BEING PLACED ON WING'S EDGE AHEAD OF TRANSPLANT
6. WHITE FLASH
7. NEW WING BEING GLUED ON AND CORN STARCH USED / BUTTERFLY STARTS MOVING ABOUT AND USING WINGS AFTER PROCEDURE / WALKS ON RESCUERS HAND AND FLAPS WING BEFORE MOVING AROUND
8. RESCUER RELEASING BUTTERFLY AFTER TRANSPLANT SURGERY