A dozen rare western bumblebees were discovered in western Oregon 15 years after the species headed west of the region's Cascade Mountains.
Xerces Society biologist Rich Hatfield told Epoch Times he spent six weeks this past summer in the Mount Hood National Forest researching the species.
"In the last 15 years there have only been about 15 sightings of this bumblebee west of the Cascades," he said. "This discovery suggests that this species might have a chance to repopulate its range."
According to Hatfield, bumble bees are closely linked to food humans eat.
"One out of every three bites of food that we eat comes from a plant that was pollinated by an animal, and usually those animals are bees," he said. "The fact that any bee could disappear is a scary proposition. We're approaching a tipping point where our food security will be at stake."
In the fourth week of his research, Hatfield found the bumblebees, who were one of the most common insects to give off pollen in the country's western region, near the Timberline Lodge Epoch Times reported. The species measure out to an inch-long and have white bottoms.
Hatfield's survey, which is the first official list of bumblebees present in the forest, will aide the United States Forest Service in being able to better protect the area for wildlife according to the Oregon Zoo Epoch Times reported.
Zoo photographer Michael Durham also took what is believed to be the first high speed photo of a western bumblebee in flight. Durham used a laser triggered shutter and flash that fires at 1/50,000th of a second.
On the Oregon Zoo's Facebook and Twitter pages, commenters were glad to hear about the news.
"Bees are fascinating and above all vital to Earth's environment," Lorraine Dennis Saiz said.
"Way amazing. And how pretty, too!" Erin Kirkland wrote.
