Overview
- An international effort involving Chester Zoo, Bermuda’s Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and Biolinx Environmental Research bred snails off-site and returned them to protected habitats.
- More than 100,000 individuals have been released since a remnant group of fewer than 200 was rediscovered in a Hamilton alley about a decade ago.
- Post-release monitoring confirms six self-sustaining populations across Bermuda, with a supporting assessment slated for publication in Oryx, The International Journal of Conservation.
- Specially designed breeding pods and new husbandry protocols produced the first conservation breeding guide for Poecilozonites bermudensis.
- Partners plan to apply the model to the lesser Bermuda land snail, with ongoing vigilance needed against invasive predators and habitat pressures.