切斯特动物园的保护专家成功培育了300只濒危的马德拉陆地蜗牛，这些蜗牛源自葡萄牙布吉奥岛岩石上仅存的21只个体 [1]。动物园的无脊椎动物助理团队经理塔玛斯·帕普表示："我们知道只有一次机会来拯救它们。如果错过这次机会，它们就会永远消失。" [1]
这些蜗牛体型极小，不超过8毫米 [1]，在生态系统中发挥重要作用——通过食用植被来改善土壤 [1]。在克服恶劣天气和危险的悬崖条件后，专家们将培育的蜗牛安全地放回了马德拉群岛的自然栖息地 [1]。这次保护工作是在马德拉政府的请求下进行的 [1]。
Conservation experts at Chester Zoo have successfully bred 300 near-extinct Madeiran land snails and returned them to their natural habitat in the Madeira archipelago [1]. The breeding initiative began after just 21 of these snails were discovered clinging to a rock on Portugal's Bugio Island, representing the only remaining wild population of the species [1].
The snails, which measure no larger than 8 millimeters in size, play an important ecological role by consuming vegetation and enriching the soil [1]. According to Tamas Papp, assistant team manager for invertebrates at Chester Zoo, the operation was critical: "We knew we had one shot to save them. If we missed this chance, that was it: they were gone" [1]. The Madeira government had requested the zoo's expertise to undertake the conservation effort [1], and staff overcame severe weather and treacherous cliff conditions to safely release the bred snails back into the wild [1].