This bear is inspired by Monarch butterfly. The Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus) is one of the most famous migratory butterflies. Each year, millions travel nearly 4,000 km from North America to central Mexico’s Sierra Nevada to overwinter, facing droughts, storms, and other hazards along the way. In spring, they return north to the U.S. and Canada, where vast swarms cover trees and landscapes so densely that trunks and branches seem alive with butterflies. Monarch gatherings, also seen on sunny Californian coasts, are spectacular natural events. However, populations, especially western monarchs, have plummeted to record lows, bringing the species close to extinction.