A butterfly collector in Africa with more than 4.2 million seeks to share them for the future

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — What began as a childhood hobby more than six decades ago has led to what might be Africa's largest butterfly collection in a suburb of Kenya's capital.

Steve Collins, 74, was born and raised in western Kenya. By the age of 5, he was fascinated by butterflies and started building a collection that has grown to more than 4.2 million, representing hundreds of species.

“My parents encouraged us to look for butterflies after visiting the Congo and were gifted a trapping net by some friends," Collins said. “By the time I was 15 years old, I was already visiting other countries like Nigeria to study more about butterflies.”

During his 20-year career as an agronomist, Collins dedicated his free time to research. He established the African Butterfly Research Institute in 1997.

Now, running out of space and time, he hopes to hand it over to the next generation.

On his 1.5 acres (0.6 hectare) of land, hundreds of indigenous trees and flowering bushes form a well-knit forest. Hundreds of butterflies dance from one flower to another, at times landing on Collins' hand.

His collection is private, although it was initially open to the public when he ran it as an education center between 1998 and 2003.

Collins has 1.2 million butterflies from across Africa delicately pinned in frames and stored in rows of shelves, with another 3 million in envelopes.

“They need to be kept in dark spaces," he said. “The form of storage also ensures the dried butterflies are not eaten by other insects, parasites and predators. We also ensure we apply insecticides once a year to keep them safe.”

Julian Bayliss, an ecologist specializing in Africa and a visiting professor at Oxford Brookes University, said he has collected butterflies for Collins over two decades.

“There is a large part of that collection that is completely irreplaceable because a large part of Africa’s habitat is being destroyed,” Bayliss said.

Africa is vulnerable to climate change, with periods of prolonged drought and serious flooding destroying forests and other butterfly habitats.

Bayliss suggested digitizing the collection to make it accessible worldwide.

Whoever takes it over "needs to be an institution that is well-founded, well-funded and secure,” he said.

Scott Miller, an entomologist at the Smithsonian Institution, met Collins almost 30 years ago. He said such collections provide critical information that could show environmental changes over 60 years.

“These physical specimens, you can actually keep going back to them to get new layers of information as you learn more or you get a different technology or you get different questions," he said.

Collins is concerned that soon he will no longer be able to sustain his research. He said his most prized butterfly costs $8,000 — which he keeps from sight, concerned about possible theft — and hopes to sell the collection to an individual or research institution.

The costs of running his institute are high. An annual budget posted in 2009 on the Lepidopterists' Society of Africa website was $200,000.

Collins estimates that the specimens and other assets are worth $8 million.

“This has been my hobby for decades, and I can’t put a price on what I have done so far. I’m currently seeking to ensure the species are in safe hands when I’m out of this world,” he said.

Associated Press journalist Khaled Kazziha in Nairobi, Kenya, contributed to this report.

Edgar Emojong, assistant butterfly collector at the African Butterfly Research Institute (ABRI), holds a butterfly in Nairobi, Kenya, Monday, Dec. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Steve Collins, a butterfly collector and the founder of the African Butterfly Research Institute (ABRI), holds a butterfly in Nairobi, Kenya, Monday, Dec. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

A butterfly collection box at a storeroom at the African Butterfly Research Institute (ABRI) in Nairobi, Kenya, Monday, Dec. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Edgar Emojong, assistant butterfly collector at the African Butterfly Research Institute (ABRI), pins a butterfly in Nairobi, Kenya, Monday, Dec. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Steve Collins, a butterfly collector and the founder of the African Butterfly Research Institute (ABRI), holds a butterfly in Nairobi, Kenya, Monday, Dec. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Steve Collins, a butterfly collector and the founder of the African Butterfly Research Institute (ABRI), holds a butterfly collection box in Nairobi, Kenya, Monday, Dec. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Assistant butterfly collector Edgar Emojong pins a butterfly at the African Butterfly Research Institute (ABRI) in Nairobi, Kenya, Monday, Dec. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Edgar Emojong, assistant butterfly collector at the African Butterfly Research Institute (ABRI), catches butterflies in Nairobi, Kenya, Monday, Dec. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Steve Collins, a butterfly collector and the founder of the African Butterfly Research Institute (ABRI), holds a butterfly collection box in Nairobi, Kenya, Monday, Dec. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

A butterfly rests on the nose of assistant butterfly collector Edgar Emojong at the African Butterfly Research Institute (ABRI) in Nairobi, Kenya, Monday, Dec. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

DETROIT (AP) — Riley Greene homered and Kevin McGonigle drove in two runs as the Detroit Tigers beat Gerrit Cole for the first time in 10 years, winning 5-3 against the New York Yankees on Monday night.

Framber Valdez (4-5) outpitched Cole, giving up one run on four hits and two walks in six innings. The left-hander struck out eight as the Tigers won their fourth straight game.

Cole (2-2) entered 10-1 with a 1.84 ERA in 14 career starts against Detroit, with his only loss coming as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates on April 14, 2016. But the 2023 AL Cy Young Award winner wasn't very sharp this time, allowing five runs and nine hits in 4 1/3 innings. He struck out five.

Minus injured slugger Aaron Judge, the Yankees have lost three in a row and four of five. They still have the best record in the American League at 46-31.

New York got a run in the second when José Caballero walked, stole second and scored on Ali Sánchez's double.

Detroit took the lead with three runs in the third.

Zack McKinstry led off with a triple and scored on McGonigle's groundout. Cole struck out Dillon Dingler for the second out, but the next four hitters reached base, including RBI singles by Spencer Torkelson and Colt Keith.

McGonigle's RBI double gave the Tigers a 4-1 lead in the fourth, and Greene's 422-foot homer made it 5-1 in the fifth.

Sánchez exited in the seventh after being hit on the left wrist by a pitch. Amed Rosario homered two pitches later to make it 5-3.

A pair of infield singles brought Jasson Domínguez to the plate with two on and two outs in the eighth, but Will Vest came out of the bullpen to strike him out. Vest also pitched the ninth for his second save.

The game was delayed for seven minutes in the fourth when a camera installed in front of second base popped up through the grass. Despite the best efforts of Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. to rebury the camera, the grounds crew had to come out to fix the field.

The teams continue their three-game series Tuesday night, with Detroit RHP Casey Mize (2-4, 2.58 ERA) scheduled to face LHP Carlos Rodón (3-2, 3.50).

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole walks in the dugout against the Detroit Tigers during the fifth inning of a baseball game Monday, June 22, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole walks to the dugout against the Detroit Tigers during the fifth inning of a baseball game Monday, June 22, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Detroit Tigers' Hao-Yu Lee slides safely into home plate against the New York Yankees during the fourth inning of a baseball game Monday, June 22, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Detroit Tigers pitcher Framber Valdez throws against the New York Yankees during the first inning of a baseball game Monday, June 22, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Detroit Tigers' Riley Greene reacts to his home run agains the New York Yankees during the fifth inning of a baseball game Monday, June 22, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)