Monarch butterfly found 1,600 miles away months after being tagged in Ky.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A monarch butterfly tagged in Kentucky last October has been found more than 1,600 miles away in Mexico.

The female monarch was tagged by Tri Roberts, a citizen-scientist and member of Kentucky Wild, as part of a research project in Oct. 2020, according to a news release. He found it at the Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site on Oct. 2, 2020.

The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources tags monarch butterflies each fall from late August through early October to collect data on migrating monarchs. Kentucky Wild is a group that provides members an opportunity to accompany officials in the field, and work side-by-side with researchers.

Roberts has taken advantage of those opportunities several times.

"I first learned of Kentucky Wild when I was renewing my fishing license several years ago," Roberts said in a written statement. "I became intrigued by the Kentucky Wild mission and chose to become a member, and I'm so glad I did."

After migrating south from Perryville, the monarch was found through the Monarch Watch tagging program 11 months later, the release states. It had flown more than 1,600 miles, to the El Rosario Butterfly Preserve in Michoacán, Mexico.

Millions of monarch butterflies in eastern North America migrate to central Mexico every fall. That's when many are tagged, with a small sticker displaying a unique code that identifies the monarch and where it has traveled from in case it's found.

The number of monarch butterflies has fallen recently, with less suitable habitat areas available. Kentucky Fish and Wildlife and other conservation agencies are working to provide suitable areas for pollinators.

The Louisville Zoo's Butterflies in Bloom exhibit features monarch butterflies from the Idlewild Butterfly Farm. It's open through Sept. 18.