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Fiery Birdwing11x14 (SL-3)

Indonesia, 11" x 14"

The birdwing butterfly family is an object lesson in conservation through sustained commercial use. When scientists discovered that the Queen Alexandra's Birdwing - the largest butterfly in the world - was nearing extinction due to habitat destruction, it began employing natives in the area to re-plant the birdwing's needed host-plant. Consequently, many natives replaced an environmentally devastating career with a benign one while bringing the world's largest butterfly back from the brink of extinction. As a precaution, all birdwing butterfly species are still protected and require internationally monitored permits, but the species that are offered are not endangered or threatened.