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Second Monarch Butterfly Activist Found Dead in Mexico

The body was found two days after the funeral of Homero Gómez, who had received threats for his butterfly activism.

A second activist who had campaigned to protect monarch butterflies in Mexico has been found dead, BBC News reports. The body of Raúl Hernández—who worked as a tour guide at a butterfly sanctuary in Michoacán state—was found two days after the funeral of Homero Gómez, who managed a different butterfly sanctuary in the same state. Both had reportedly campaigned for the the conservation of monarch butterflies and the woodlands where they hibernate, which have been damaged by illegal logging. Gómez’s body was found in a well on Jan. 29, and his family claimed he had received threats warning him to stop his campaign. Hernández’s body was found at the top of a hill in the El Campanario monarch butterfly sanctuary, and he was reportedly covered in bruises and had a head wound. Conservationists fear the deaths may be linked. Environmentalists have warned that illegal logging in the area is a major threat to butterflies and the forests where they spend their winters.