Conservation teams have released hundreds of captive-bred land snails on the Desertas Islands off Madeira to avert local extinctions. The programme rescued four species, including Geomitra coronula, which was once reduced to just 21 individuals in the wild. Chester Zoo released over 300 G. coronula and French partners reintroduced around 270 Discula lyelliana. Teams also removed invasive species and restored habitat to improve the snails' long-term survival prospects.
Hundreds of Tiny Endangered Snails Reintroduced to Madeira After Emergency Breeding Rescue
Photo Credit: iStock
Conservation teams have returned hundreds of captive-bred land snails to the remote Desertas Islands off Madeira, Portugal, in an urgent bid to prevent local extinctions and restore fragile island ecosystems.
What Happened
Chester Zoo in England, working with ZooParc de Beauval in France and conservation staff from the Madeira government, helped reintroduce hundreds of snails to Bugio and Deserta Grande. The wider programme targeted four species that were brought back from the brink of extinction through partnerships with specialist zoos and conservation teams.
Species And Scale
One species, Geomitra coronula, was found in critically low numbers — field teams once discovered just 21 individuals beneath a single rock. Thanks to captive breeding, Chester Zoo has released more than 300 Geomitra coronula back into the wild, while French partners reintroduced about 270 Discula lyelliana.
How The Rescue Worked
The effort combined intensive captive breeding with careful site preparation. Madeira's teams removed invasive species and restored habitat at chosen release sites to increase the snails' chances of survival. Dinarte Teixeira of the Institute of Forests and Nature Conservation led selection of release locations and is now monitoring the reintroduced populations.
"By the time the Madeira government contacted us for help, one of the species, Geomitra coronula, was so close to extinction that its entire global population could fit inside a single petri dish," said Tamas Papp, assistant team manager for invertebrates at Chester Zoo.
Why It Matters
Although tiny, these land snails play an important ecological role: they feed on vegetation and contribute to nutrient cycling in soils, supporting the broader health of island habitats. Reintroductions will only be judged successful if the species establish self-sustaining populations over time, which is why ongoing monitoring and habitat management are essential.
Source: Reporting by Blooloop; programme led by Madeira government conservation teams with support from Chester Zoo and ZooParc de Beauval.
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