Chester Zoo conservationists save tiny snails from extinction

Conservationists at Chester Zoo have released a group of tropical snails, which had previously been extinct for 15 years, back into the wild.

The 800 lesser Bermuda snails have been bred and reared by the zoo's invertebrate specialists before being flown 3,000 miles and being released on the island.

The zoo said that the tiny snails disappeared from the island after flatworms and carnivorous snails were introduced to the ecosystem by humans.

The reintroduction of the snails comes after 18,000 of the animals close relative, the greater Bermuda snail, were released on the island by the zoo and the Bermudian government last year.

Credit: Chester Zoo

Now, a further 10,000 greater Bermuda snails have also been sent back to Bermuda to boost their number and distribution across the Oceanic islands.

It’s the first time two species of snails have ever been reintroduced as part of a conservation breeding and release programme in Bermuda.

Dr Gerardo Garcia, the zoo’s Curator of Lower Vertebrates and Invertebrates, said: "It’s an unbelievable feeling to be able to say that we’ve successfully prevented the extinction of two incredibly important snails.

"The lesser land snails had not been seen in Bermuda since 2004, so the animals we were breeding at the zoo were some of the last surviving individuals on the planet.

"It really was down to the wire for this species."

The snails are being kept in a controlled environment on the island to ensure that they survive the transistion. Credit: Chester Zoo

Dr Mark Outerbridge, Wildlife Ecologist for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources of Bermuda, and the zoo’s partner, added: "Now that the snails are safely in Bermuda we will closely monitor their progress.

"The lesser land snails are so small that we are not likely to find them once they have been released, so for now, we’ve placed them inside a number of large enclosures in order to see how they transition to the wild.

"They will be fully released after we see evidence of reproduction and adult survival within the next few months."

The successful conservation breeding programme is part of a collaborative project between leading conservationists at Chester Zoo, ZSL London Zoo, the Bermudian Government and a snail specialist from British Columbia, Canada.