Australia Launches Emergency Breeding Program for Rare Norfolk Island Hairy Snail
Conservationists have initiated an urgent breeding program at Sydney’s Taronga Zoo to save the endangered Norfolk Island hairy snail from extinction.
According to a report by Khaosod Online, Australian conservation experts have launched an emergency breeding initiative to prevent the extinction of the Norfolk Island hairy snail. This tiny mollusk, roughly the size of a fingernail and characterized by fine hairs on its shell, is facing a severe population decline.
Between August 2025 and May 2026, researchers observed a consistent drop in the wild population, with an increasing number of empty shells indicating a high mortality rate. Experts attribute these threats to invasive ants, climate change, and predation by rodents and feral chickens. In August 2026, a team led by the Australian Museum and the Taronga Conservation Society collected 30 snails and transported them to Taronga Zoo in Sydney to establish a captive breeding population. The long-term goal is to eventually reintroduce these snails to Norfolk Island to bolster their numbers in the wild.
For residents and visitors, this project highlights the fragile biodiversity of Norfolk Island, which is home to approximately 60 endemic snail species. While the Australian Museum successfully bred the endangered Campbell’s keeled glass-snail earlier this year, the future of the hairy snail remains uncertain as researchers continue to monitor the effectiveness of the captive breeding program. Further updates on the population recovery will depend on the success of the current breeding efforts at the zoo.
