Overview
- The injured monarch was brought to Sweetbriar Nature Center in Smithtown, Long Island, by Good Samaritan Dagmar Hoffdavis.
- Director Janine Bendicksen trimmed the damaged wing and attached a donor wing from a deceased monarch in about five minutes.
- The procedure used contact cement, corn starch and a small wire to stabilize and align the replacement wing.
- The butterfly flew away after release, as shown in a video posted by the center.
- The video drew worldwide attention, with inquiries from Minnesota, California and Costa Rica, as coverage highlighted monarchs’ long migrations across North America.