Hundreds of nearly extinct snails return to Portuguese island to revive fragile ecosystem
Conservationists from the Chester Zoo in Portugal have reintroduced hundreds of tiny mollusks to Bugio Island to restore the habitat and support biodiversity on the island.
Hundreds of nearly extinct snails are reintroduced on an island in Portugal
Members of the Chester Zoo in Portugal have completed an extensive conservation effort by breeding over 300 nearly extinct mollusks and reintroducing them onto an island where they can benefit the biodiversity.
PORTUGAL – An effort to save nearly extinct snails is making new strides in recovery efforts as hundreds of the slimy creatures are reintroduced into their natural habitat in Portugal.
Conservationists from the Chester Zoo in Portugal have reintroduced hundreds of tiny mollusks to Bugio Island to restore the habitat and support biodiversity on the island.
Mollusks are invertebrates, which means they are animals without a backbone that come in all shapes and sizes.
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The mollusca is the group of animals that includes gastropods (snails, slugs and limpets), bivalves (clams, oysters and mussels), cephalopods (octopuses, nautiluses and squids) and much more, according to the University of Oxford.
Nearly extinct mollusks reintroduced to island in Portugal.
(Chester Zoo via Storyful)
Certain mollusks, such as clams and oysters, act similarly to ecosystem engineers, filtering water and benefiting the environment.
Before the initiative took place, various zoos took in the mollusks to save them from extinction, as 21 slimy creatures were found barely clinging to life, according to the Chester Zoo.
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"Over the course of a few hundred years, people managed to destroy the islands’ woodland and introduced rabbits and goats, which prevented native plants from regrowing," the Chester Zoo said.
Experts examine nearly extinct mollusks as experts in Portugal save them.
(Chester Zoo via Storyful)
Since then, more than 300 mollusks have been bred at the Chester Zoo and released into the wild, as these creatures play a vital role in nutrient cycling by breaking down organic matter.
"The released snails measure no bigger than 8 mm in size, but they are important to the health of ecosystems as they eat vegetation and enrich the soil," the Chester Zoo said.
The surge in population growth is a huge step in the right direction toward reviving the thriving habitats on this island and many more across the world.