The survival of the British Swallowtail butterfly, found exclusively in East Anglia and predominantly in the Norfolk Broads, is under threat and its population has dropped by 57% in the last 20 years. Experts said the long-term picture for the British Swallowtail was ‘one of decline’ (Mark Collins/Swallowtail & Birdwing Butterfly Trust/PA)Researchers from Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), together with others, are exploring whether cryopreservation could help in their conservation. Jimmy’s Farm and Wildlife Park near Ipswich in Suffolk houses a thriving captive population of a genetically similar but far more abundant species than the British Swallowtail. If the method is effective, it is hoped that the eggs of the British Swallowtail can then be stored to support long-term conservation strategies, such as breeding programmes and reintroduction efforts. “This project holds significant importance for the development of cryopreservation techniques – not only for the British Swallowtail, but across pollinators and invertebrates as a whole,” she said.
