Miniscule snails thought to have become extinct 100 years ago rediscovered in UK

Two snail species thought to have been extinct for more than a century have been rediscovered and preserved by conservationists in the UK and Portugal.

The snail species called the Desertas Island snails had not been seen for more than 100 years. However, researchers have found 300 of them living on an isolated island in the Madeira Archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean.

Two British zoos have now successfully bred both species of snail.

Dr Gerardo Garcia, Chester Zoo’s curator, said: “We can say that we have prevented two magnificent species from becoming extinct, which is an incredible achievement.”