An injured monarch butterfly was given a second chance at life after undergoing a delicate wing transplant at a Long Island wildlife rehabilitation center.
Since the Sweetbriar Nature Center shared the rescue on Instagram, the video has been viewed more than 13.8 million times and has spread across platforms.
Janine Bendicksen, director of wildlife rehabilitation at Sweetbriar, said she never expected so much attention, but she’s grateful that the story has inspired people to care more about even the smallest creatures.
“I think people just needed something hopeful,” she said. “It’s one butterfly, but it touched millions.”
Sweetbriar staff said a Good Samaritan brought the tiny patient into the center located in Smithtown, New York. After their arrival, one of the front desk staff members was skeptical — unsure if there was anything that could actually be done — but Bendicksen quickly stepped in and said, “No, no, we definitely do butterflies.”
“When the butterfly came in, I saw that it had just emerged from its chrysalis, and one of its lower wings was kind of bent over and deformed,” said Bendicksen. “I just thought to myself, ‘Oh my gosh, this could be something cool here. I have a feeling I’m going to be able to do my transplant — or at least try.’”
Without the specialized tools she needed at the center, Bendicksen brought the monarch home that evening and improvised. She used a wing from a deceased butterfly found inside Sweetbriar’s butterfly house, along with contact cement and a bent wire hanger to hold the insect steady during the operation.
For those who may cringe at the video, Bendicksen emphasized that the butterfly couldn’t feel the procedure — its wings have no nerve endings or blood flow where she made the repair.
“My first attempt was a failure because the butterfly was so active,” she recalled. “So I said, ‘You know what? I’m going to put this butterfly into the refrigerator for 10 minutes, and then we’re going to see what happens.’ And voilà — it worked!”
The transplant took only about five minutes. Once complete, the monarch began walking around her hand — and then took off.
“It literally just took off from my hand,” Bendicksen said. “You know, I felt like a Disney princess — like Prince Charming just came back or something. I really didn’t know if it would work, and when it did, it was a spectacular feeling.”
Footage shared by the center shows the monarch’s repaired wing glinting in the light before it lifts into the air. Bendicksen, who has worked in wildlife rehabilitation for nearly 25 years, said she’s grateful that such a small story has inspired so many people.
“What excites me more than anything is the attention this butterfly is getting,” she said. “With everything going on in the world, people are hopeful and happy. It’s a feel-good story — and we need more of those out there.”
Monarch butterflies are the only known butterfly species to migrate thousands of miles both north and south each year. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, they rely on milkweed to survive — a plant that has declined sharply across North America due to herbicides and habitat loss.
Bendicksen said she plans to visit the monarch migration sites in Mexico this winter, where she’ll be looking for a familiar orange-and-black traveler.
“The wing I put on was slightly darker than the others,” she said with a laugh. “Who knows — maybe I’ll see him there.”
To learn more about Sweetbriar Nature Center or support their wildlife rescue efforts, visit SweetbriarNC.org.
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