The species faced imminent collapse after introduced threats decimated wild numbers, prompting biologist Dr. Michael Hadfield to collect the remaining 11 individuals in 1991. To support their recovery, the DLNR's Snail Extinction Prevention Program cultivated their natural diet of mold on petri dishes within strictly controlled environments. These efforts expanded the captive group to more than 1,000 individuals by late 2024. A cohort has now been placed inside a specialized enclosure in the Honolulu Watershed Forest Reserve to foster their wild recovery.
Key points
On December 10, 2024, the snails were reintroduced into a protected enclosure located in…: On December 10, 2024, the snails were reintroduced into a protected enclosure located in O‘ahu's Ko‘olau Mountains.
Hawaii's Department of Land and Natural Resources announced the milestone release followi…: Hawaii's Department of Land and Natural Resources announced the milestone release following more than three decades of captive-breeding efforts.
Invasive species such as the rosy wolf snail, Jackson's chameleons, and the New Guinea fl…: Invasive species such as the rosy wolf snail, Jackson's chameleons, and the New Guinea flatworm originally pushed the species toward extinction.
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A creature barely three-quarters of an inch long has taken more than three decades of scientific effort to bring back to the forests of Hawaii. The O‘ahu tree snail, a species once considered lost in the wild, is slowly getting another chance after conservationists rescued the last 11 known individuals in 1991 and spent years breeding them in captivity. The species, Achatinella fuscobasis, returned to its natural habitat in December 2024, but its comeback also highlights a troubling conservation mistake: a predator introduced to control an invasive garden pest became one of the biggest threats to Hawaii's native snails.
The first group of these endangered snails was released on December 10, 2024, into a specially prepared enclosure in the Honolulu Watershed Forest Reserve in the Ko‘olau Mountains on O‘ahu.
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The reintroduction, announced by Hawaii's Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) on December 18, marked the end of more than 33 years in captivity. It was also the result of nearly half a century of conservation partnerships, research and efforts to prevent the species from…
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