“The annual reintroduction of zoo-bred Extinct in the Wild and Critically Endangered Partula snails – including from our London and Whipsnade Zoos – saw over 7,000 snails returned to four islands, making it the largest release of the group of finger-nail sized snail species and subspecies to date.
Before release, conservationists dotted the shell of each snail with a small dab of white UV reflective paint, which glows blue under UV light. As the snails are most active at night, the paint helps the team find released snails and monitor the recovery of the species.
During the releases, the team discovered an unmarked, juvenile Partula varia – making it the first wild-born member of this reintroduced snail species to be spotted in over 30 years. This discovery is proof that the Partula species is not only surviving on their native island of Huahine, but that they are successfully breeding – a momentous milestone for the programme.”
