Thousands of tiny snails released into the wild

A global conservationists project discovered wild-born adult Partula tohiveana snails in French Polynesia for the first time in 40 years. The find, made during annual reintroduction of zoo-bred snails, confirmed that these once extinct in the wild species are now finally breeding in the wild, making them an established species. Video released by the Zoological Society of London showed keepers preparing tiny snails for release into the wild and overlooking their reintroduction. "To finally have a population of Partula tohiveana back out in the wild is an incredibly important moment for us as a team, and for me personally. I have been looking after these snails for ten years. We have members of the team that have been looking after them for up to 30 years. To finally have that dream realised of having populations that are wild born is incredibly exciting for us," said Sam Aberdeen, Team Leader for Invertebrates at the London Zoo. - Report from Reuters