Bodies of Two Conservationists in Mexico’s Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary Discovered
(Photo : Stocksnap)

One of the most famous wildlife reservoirs in the world, the Monarch Butterfly Reserve in Mexico, attracts countless visitors. These visitors come to the area to witness the yearly migration of millions of Mexico's Monarch butterflies. These butterflies migrate to the Michoacan State in Mexico during the winter season. 

However, this world-famous home for one of the world's most endangered wildlife, the Monarch Butterflies, is now a potential murder crime-scene and is making international headlines.

On two separate days, the bodies of two conservationists were discovered. However, investigators are yet to discover any information regarding the deaths.

Home for Migrant Monarch Butterfly Turned Crime Scene 

The state of Michoacan is located 130 miles in the Western part of Mexico City.

The two dead bodies were Homero Gomez Gonzalez, the manager of the Monarch Butterflies' sanctuary, and Raul Hernandez Romero, a tour guide working in the sanctuary. Their deaths have caused alarm and fright in the wildlife conservation industry.

Romero's body was discovered on Saturday near the highest point of the mountainous sanctuary, which sits 9,000 feet above sea level in the state of Michoacan, about 130 miles west of Mexico City, according to a statement from the Michoacan state prosecutor's office. Romero's family reported him missing on Friday, officials said.

According to an article from We Are Mitu, the body of Gonzales was discovered after his family had reported him missing for 16 days. Three days after the discovery of Romero's body, Gonzalez's body was discovered submerged in a pond close to El Soldado in Central Mexico. 

The representatives of the State Human Rights Commission autopsied Gonzalez's body. The results of the autopsy revealed that the cause of his death was 'mechanical asphyxiation.' It was also reported that the victim had experienced head trauma prior to sinking in water. 

Gonzalez's family reported to the authorities that he was missing two weeks ago. He was one of the area's known conservation activists and local advocate for Mexico's monarch butterflies. He had piloted a program against illegal logging. Illegal logging destroys the nesting grounds of butterflies. 

Petty crime and theft are the two most common violations in certain parts of Mexico. However, investigators do not believe that these crimes are linked to the death of Gonzalez, as his dead body was discovered with 9,000 pesos in the pockets. 

About the Monarch Butterflies of Mexico 

Mexico's Monarch butterflies sanctuary is a UNESCO Biosphere reserve that attracts thousands of visitors every year. 

Every winter season, millions of these butterflies visit the El Rosario reserves as their temporary home in Mexico during the cold season. 

The El Rosario sanctuary is a portion of the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve. It is dubbed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2008. It called the rich concentration of the species in the area during a specific time of the year as a "superlative natural phenomenon."