For over 100 years it was believed that The land snails from Desertas Island were extinct. Then researchers found less than 400 tiny mini snails. After a rescue operation has now 1300 returned to the uninhabited island of Bugio, near Madeira.
The land snails from Desertas Island have been released on the uninhabited island of Bugio, near Madeira off the coast of Morocco.
The unique species of snail had not been seen for over 100 years and was therefore thought to have disappeared from the natural habitat. But then experts at the Institute of Forest and Nature Conservation (IFCN) rediscovered two species of the snail with fewer than 200 of each.
The mini snails, which are about the size of a pea, were therefore taken to zoos in the UK and France where they underwent breeding programs to increase their numbers.
Close to extinction
Dr Gerardo Garcia, head of the warm-blooded animals department at Chester zoo says The Guardian that “the future of the species was in our hands” and were “truly on the brink of extinction” when they arrived at the zoo.
He also paid tribute to his team of zookeepers who: “spent countless hours caring for each individual snail”.
Now over 1,300 snails have been allowed to return to the island of Bugio, where no people have been allowed to be since 1990.