The monarch butterfly population, particularly in the Western United States, is facing a dramatic decline, with counts nearing a record 30-year low. Recent studies reveal that the overwintering population of Western monarch butterflies in California has plummeted by 96 percent, marking the second-lowest numbers ever recorded. Conservationists express deep concern over this alarming trend, as factors like habitat loss, climate change, and environmental pressures continue to threaten this beloved pollinator. With numbers dwindling to the thousands from millions in previous years, the survival of monarch butterflies is increasingly precarious, prompting discussions about the potential need for their listing as a threatened species.