Zoo’s car trip triggers rare snail breeding
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Wingham Wildlife Park in Kent, England, transported 24 glutinous snails from Llyn Tegid lake in Wales to begin a breeding program aimed at saving the species.
The glutinous snail, once common across the UK, now exists in only one location, Llyn Tegid, a lake within Eryri National Park, due to habitat loss and environmental changes. During the six-hour drive, the snails began laying eggs inside the transport containers.
The park has already successfully bred the snails, moving 130 young snails from an initial group of six adults to establish a new colony. Wingham Wildlife Park is collaborating with Askham Bryan Wildlife Park, Longleat, Dudley Zoo, Chester Zoo, and the Freshwater Habitats Trust to identify locations where they can release the bred snails back into the wild and support existing populations.
Hannah Ellins, head of reptiles and invertebrates at Wingham, noted the park’s involvement in the project extends its conservation work beyond exotic species to include native wildlife.
