In 2022, a devastating survey revealed only nine Poweshiek skipperling butterflies remained in the wild in the United States, signaling an imminent extinction for the once-common prairie species. This dire situation prompted an intensive conservation effort led by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Minnesota Zoo, and other partners. Through captive breeding programs, scientists successfully raised the butterflies in controlled environments, protecting them from habitat loss, pesticides, and climate change.