A tiny animal once feared lost has completed a remarkable return to the wild on Norfolk Island. Conservation teams have released the final 1,000 captive-bred Campbell’s keeled glass-snails into a secluded rainforest valley in Norfolk Island National Park.
The snail, Advena campbellii, is found nowhere else. It went unseen for nearly 25 years before a local citizen scientist rediscovered it in 2020. A small founding group was taken to Taronga Zoo Sydney, where specialists established Australia’s first captive-breeding program designed for a snail translocation.
The final release follows an earlier introduction of 300 snails in July 2025. Completing the captive-breeding phase puts the focus on the forest: rangers and researchers will now watch how the animals establish themselves and how effectively threats can be managed in their restored habitat.
The project brought together Parks Australia, Taronga Conservation Society Australia, the Australian Museum, Western Sydney University, Norfolk Island Regional Council and other partners. Its success also highlights the value of local observation—the recovery began because someone in the community noticed a species that science had nearly written off.
A small species with a large role
Land snails help break down organic material and cycle nutrients through forest soil. Returning an endemic species is therefore about more than preventing one extinction; it is part of rebuilding the ecological relationships that make Norfolk Island’s rainforest distinct.
Sources: Norfolk Island National Park and Taronga Conservation Society Australia.
Featured image: Norfolk Island pines photographed in New Zealand by Kahuroa; representative of the island’s endemic tree species. Released into the public domain by the creator. License and source.
