Bermuda Land Snail Extinction Reversed: Scientists Revive Species Using Close Relatives

On March 11, 2020 (photographed on February 5th), a group of tropical snails believed to have been extinct for more than 15 years was released back into the wild by conservationists at Chester Zoo in the UK. The 800 tiny Bermuda snails, after being carefully nurtured and raised by invertebrate experts, were revived and traveled 4828 kilometers back to Bermuda.

Previously, the species had been listed as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) due to concerns that it had completely disappeared from the wild. The last known individual was seen in Bermuda 15 years ago. These tiny snails were only found on remote Bermuda island, and disappeared after being driven to extinction by two invasive species introduced by humans - flatworms and carnivorous snails, which destroyed the last remaining snail populations on the island, while their habitats were also destroyed.

Last year, Chester Zoo successfully reintroduced 18,000 giant Bermuda snails, which were relatives of the small snails, and the disease was successfully cured. Now, 10,000 Bermuda snails are being sent back to Bermuda to increase their numbers and distribution area in the archipelago.

Source: huanqiu.com