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Ore. Zoo raises rare butterflies for release

The Columbian
Published: May 6, 2010, 12:00am

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Oregon Zoo in Portland says that for the first time, its butterfly conservation lab has successfully bred and raised adult Taylor’s checkerspot butterflies for release in the wild. Previously the five-year-old program had only reared larvae for release.

Last week the Washington state Department of Fish and Wildlife released more than 80 of the zoo’s adult butterflies at two sites near Olympia, Wash. That’s where some of the region’s best habitat remains for the imperiled butterfly. In March, the department released more than 2,000 zoo-reared checkerspot caterpillars at the same sites.

Zoo butterfly specialist Melissa Arnold says releasing the adults has been successful for other butterfly conservation programs around the country.

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