Taronga Zoo Helps Rare Snail

By Sarah Gerathy

Topic: Animals

Thursday, 30 July 2026, 6:37 am

Thursday, 30 July 2026, 7:43 am

In short:

About 1,000 rare snails are now living on Norfolk Island.

These snails were thought to be extinct, but they were found again.

What's next?

People will check on the snails to see if they are doing well.

These snails are very rare and give birth to live babies.

Now, 1,000 of these snails are living on Norfolk Island.

This type of snail had not been seen for over 30 years.

The snails were found again in 2020.

A scientist named Isabel Hyman confirmed that the snails were really the Campbell's keeled glass snails.

Isabel Hyman was very excited to find these snails.

Isabel Hyman is holding some snails.

There was a special program to breed these snails and release them back into the wild.

The program started in 2021 with 16 snails from Norfolk Island.

A woman named Tarryn Williams Clow led the team that took care of the snails.

One of the snails died, and the others were picky eaters.

The team had to learn what the snails liked to eat.

The snails like to eat a special paste made from leaves and other food.

The snails give birth to live babies from a hole in their neck.

Sometimes, a new snail is born every four to six days.

The snails are picky eaters.

These snails are special because they give birth to live babies.

The program was very successful, and over 1,000 snails were bred.

All the snails have been released back onto Norfolk Island.

The snails like to live in sheltered places.

Some snails even gave birth during the trip to Norfolk Island.

The breeding program is now finished.

A team released the snails into their new home on Norfolk Island.

The team had to think like snails to find the best places to release them.

The snails like to live in dark, damp places.

The snails are being released back into the wild.

The team worked to make sure the snails would be safe from predators.

A system was set up to keep the area moist for the snails.

Snails are an important part of the ecosystem.

Many land snails are in danger of becoming extinct.

Snails are giving birth in the wild.

Snails are important for the environment.

The team is happy to see that the snails are doing well.

The team found snails that were released a year ago, and they are still alive.

Norfolk Island is home to many types of snails.

The team is looking for other species to help.

More news from NSW

Topic: Alzheimer's and Dementia

Topic: Awards and Prizes

Topic: Visual Art

More ABC coverage

Promotion

Practice Listening

Practice Listening