EcologistNickHaddadwassittinginhisnewofficeatNorthCarolinaStateUniversitywhenthephonerang.Ontheotherendofthelinewas...TheU.S.Army.TheArmyfolkstoldhim,“Look,there’sthisendangeredbutterflyonourbaseatFortBragg,andit’stheonlyplaceintheworldthatitexists.Butit’sabouttogoextinct.Andweneedyourhelptosaveit.” Nickhadneverevenheardofthebutterfly.Infact,hebarelyknewmuchaboutbutterfliesingeneral.Nonetheless,hesaidyestoUncleSam.“Howhardcoulditbe?”hewondered.Turnsout,prettyhard.He'dhavetotrickbeavers,dodgebombs,andrethinkthefundamentalnatureoflifeanddeathinordertorescuethisbutterflybeforeitdisappearedforever.

**CORRECTION:AnearlierversionofthisstoryincorrectlystatedthattheArmymovedabeaver;intruth,theykilledit. WealsooverstatedthecurrenttallyofStFrancisSatyrsoffrange;theyarearound200,not800.Theaudiohasbeenadjustedtoreflectthesechanges.**ThisepisodewasreportedbyLatifNasser,andproducedbyRachaelCusick.OriginalmusicbyJeremyBloom.MixingbyArianneWack.

Specialthanksto:SnookiPuli,CitaEscalano,JeffreyGlassberg,MargotWilliams,MarkRomyn,ElizabethLong,LauraVerhegge, thePublicAffairsandEndangeredSpeciesBranchesatFortBragg.

Wanttolearnmore?youcan...... readNickHaddad’sbookTheLastButterflies:AScientist’sQuesttoSaveaRareandVanishingCreature...takeapeekatThomasKral’soriginal1989paperabouttheSaintFrancisSatyr...visitFortBragg'swebpageabouttheSaintFrancisSatyr 

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