UK, Portuguese conservationists hail snail-saving project

Conservationists in the UK and Portugal hailed on Saturday a breeding programme which has saved two critically endangered snail species from extinction and spurred the release of 1,329 on a remote Atlantic island.

The Desertas Island land snails were believed to be extinct. Thought to be the last of their kind in existence, the team from Portugal's Institute of Forests and Nature Conservation sent 60 of the pea-sized snails to Chester Zoo in northwest England.

The small protected island in the North Atlantic was selected because it had eradicated invasive goats, rats and mice -- the main threats which almost wiped out the snails. Each of the snails now on Bugio has been individually colour marked so they can be carefully monitored on the island. If the reintroduction proves successful, many more snails will join them to help give the species a further boost.