Hawaii's rosy wolfsnail mistake ends with native snails' return to the wild

For more than three decades, the tiny Achatinella fuscobasis (snail) existed only under human care. Then, in a carefully prepared corner of O‘ahu's Ko‘olau Mountains, the rare Hawaiian tree snail finally encountered its natural home again. The first group was recently released into the Honolulu Watershed Forest Reserve after more than 33 years in captivity. The reintroduction marks an important step in the effort to bring a species back from the brink after it was believed to have disappeared from the wild in 1991, adds the report. The release was carried out by Hawaii's Department of Land and Natural Resources Snail Extinction Prevention Program (SEPP), alongside the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa and the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife.A conservation story shaped by an old mistakeAs per the release, the snail's recovery is inseparable from a decision made decades ago.