“We were very surprised …”

Couple Rescues Butterfly Trapped Inside Dog’s Toy Ball

A couple in the U.S. made a remarkable backyard discovery when they found a butterfly trapped inside their dog’s old toy ball — and managed to save her life.

An Unexpected Discovery

Last month, Faith Black and her fiancé Alberto Navarro were spending time in their backyard when Faith noticed one of their dog’s forgotten toy balls lying in the grass.

When she picked it up, she was startled to see a tiny face staring back at her.

“We were very surprised,” Alberto told The Dodo. “The butterfly was too big to have crawled through the holes.”

How the Butterfly Got Stuck

The couple believes the butterfly’s story began much earlier: a caterpillar had likely crawled into the toy, formed its chrysalis inside, and later emerged as a butterfly.

But by then, she was too large to squeeze back through the small openings — leaving her trapped inside the ball with no way to escape.

A Gentle Rescue

Realizing what had happened, Faith and Alberto carefully cut the ball open. The butterfly lingered for a moment, stretching her wings that had developed in confinement.

Then, at last, she flitted free into the air.

“She went immediately towards a little field of flowers next to our house and just started eating,” Alberto said.

A Life Saved

Had Faith and Alberto not intervened, the butterfly likely would not have survived. Instead, she was given a second chance at life.

“It felt good,” Alberto shared. “To save anything, really, just makes you feel good.”

The Dog’s Forgotten Toy

The only casualty of the rescue was the ball itself — but Alberto is confident their dog won’t mind.

“I think he’d forgotten about it,” he joked. “We have plenty of other toys for him.”