Searching for a Butterfly in a Conflict Zone

Overheard at National Geographic

Photographer Rena Effendi’s father, a Soviet entomologist, collected 90,000 butterflies in his lifetime. But there was one species he couldn’t capture—Satyrus effendi. Effendi takes on the quest to track down the endangered butterfly named after her father, but to do so, she must navigate its home territory, a conflict zone in Azerbaijan.

For more information on this episode, visit natgeo.com/overheard.

Want more?

To see Rena Effendi’s photography, take a look at her portfolio.

Also explore.

We only briefly touched on the war between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which you can read more about in Rena Effendi’s article. Through words and photos, she followed the half a million Azerbaijanis who lost their homes in the conflict.

Plus, learn more about how the COVID-19 pandemic had a big effect on Armenians and Azerbaijanis already struggling with the conflict.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices