A monarch butterfly conservationist has vanished in Mexico--and foul play is suspected

Authorities in Mexico are investigating the mysterious disappearance of a well-known conservationist in the state of Michoacan, as some human rights activists suggest his disappearance could be linked to illegal logging in the area. Homero Gomez Gonzalez, one of Mexico’s foremost experts on monarch butterflies who has spent years protecting the insects that migrate to the area each winter from Canada and the U.S., was last seen on Jan. 13 while attending a meeting in a nearby town. An official with the Human Rights State Commission of Michoacan told Reuters the organization has asked the attorney general’s office to look into whether Gomez Gonzalez’s disappearance is related to his conservation work, as he has been vocal in the past about the threat of illegal logging to the monarch butterfly’s habitat. “He was probably hurting the [business] interests of people illegally logging in the area,” commission official Mayte Cardona told Reuters. Cardona said more than 200 volunteers have joined in the search for Gomez Gonzalez since last week. Reuters reports a source with the state prosecutor says the investigation is ongoing...MORE