Margaret The Butterfly

Lari

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Nature is cruel sometimes. :(

If you follow the mega pawsitive fundraiser thread, you'll know my class has been raising butterflies.

Margaret was the runt - the smallest caterpillar, the last to go in her chrysalis and one of the last to come out...or try. Something went wrong and she couldn't get out like she should. It looked like she had only one functioning wing, and that was smaller than normal. There was another scrunched up thing that may have been another that couldn't unfurl.

Our little Margaret was a fighter. She tried so hard to get out. She shook and shook. For a day and a half, off and on. Eventually, I couldn't take it and did a bit of surgery with tweezers to pull some of the shell off. She was able to wiggle out, but most of her legs wouldn't unfold and she couldn't even walk. I'm not even sure her proboscis worked. I put her on the bottom of our habitat on an orange.

We released our butterflies today. I thought and thought about poor Margaret. Was she starving to death? Should I end it?

But I couldn't do it.

After we let the others out one by one, I nestled Margaret inside a tulip.
20180504_110330.jpg


I'm not sure if that was the most merciful thing to do. Maybe I should have left her more visible so she could quickly become bird food. But it was what my gut told me to do in the moment. Leave her with a beautiful food source just in case she could eat.

My little fighter was still alive when I left her. Who knows how long she lived after I left. I know she's just a butterfly and she wouldn't have lived long anyway, but she was special and wanted to give her a little tribute.

:butterfly:
 

weebeasties

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...ALL creatures great and small...:)

Yes, she was special and so are you for recognizing it. If more people showed your kindness, compassion, and caring this world would be a much happier place.:bouquet:
When Margeret passes on I hope she finds herself in the lovliest of gardens.
:purplebutterfly::purplebutterfly::butterfly::purplebutterfly::purplebutterfly:
 
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