Latest news with #Partula
Miami Herald
28-03-2025
- Science
- Miami Herald
Rare species — once declared extinct in the wild — rediscovered in French Polynesia
On a small island in the South Pacific Ocean, a rare species once declared extinct in the wild has been rediscovered. Partula tohiveana, or the Moorean viviparous tree snail, was native to French Polynesia before its wild population was decimated by the rosy wolf snail, a carnivorous and invasive species. In the mid-1980s, the species was officially declared extinct in the wild, the final classification before complete extinction, including in captivity. For the last 40 years, the tree snail survived in 'carefully controlled' environments in about a dozen zoos as part of a decades-long international conservation effort to restore the species to its native habitat, according to a March 27 news release from the Zoological Society of London. Now, thanks to those efforts, the species has been downgraded to critically endangered by the IUCN Red List, conservationists said. In 2015, participating zoos began releasing the snails back into the forests of French Polynesia, marked with an animal-safe UV paint for tracking purposes, according to the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland. In 2024, after more than 24,000 snails of various Partula species were reintroduced, conservationists made the 'groundbreaking discovery' of wild-born adult Moorean viviparous tree snails, suggesting the species is successfully breeding in its natural habitat, researchers said. 'Seeing a species return from the brink after years of collaborative effort is exactly why we do what we do,' said Paul Pearce-Kelly, senior curator of invertebrates at the Zoological Society of London and head of the international Partula conservation program. 'The resilience of these snails shows what can be achieved when conservationists, governments, and local communities work together to reverse biodiversity loss,' Pearce-Kelly said in the release. Many Partula snail species went extinct in French Polynesia after the rosy wolf snail was introduced to the islands to control the giant African land snail population, experts said. Instead of preying on the intended target, the rosy wolf snail showed a preference for the small Partula snails, conservationists said. Experts said the rosy wolf snail is still present in French Polynesia, but is now rare due to the arrival of another predator — the New Guinea flatworm, Mongabay reported. Scientists said the flatworm, which hunts primarily on the ground, should not pose a major threat to the tree-dwelling Partula snails, the outlet reported. Partula snails give birth to live young, the size of a pen tip, about every six weeks, according to a species profile from National Geographic. It takes them up to six months to reach sexual maturity, experts said.
The Independent
12-02-2025
- General
- The Independent
Penguins and ‘forest giraffe' among animals totted up at Hampshire zoo
A colony of Humboldt penguins, a rare okapi calf and a critically-endangered, cotton-top tamarin baby are among the new arrivals totted up in the annual stocktake at a Hampshire zoo. Marwell Zoo, near Winchester, carried out the audit as part of its licence requirements and staff counted more than 500 animals across 145 species. The centre's penguin enclosure this year included the addition of 10 Humboldt penguins which will form part of a European breeding programme. The zoo celebrated the birth of a 'forest giraffe' okapi calf, born to five-year-old Niari in October as well as the baby cotton-top tamarin named Fester last year. The herd of Przewalski's horse foals, which were once extinct in the wild but have seen a comeback thanks to conservation efforts, also grew by four in the past year. And other arrivals in 2024 included Warjun, a male snow leopard which came from the Czech Republic; and Cherry, a female red panda introduced as a companion for Tashi, Marwell's resident male red panda. A zoo spokeswoman said: 'One of the zoo's most extraordinary conservation achievements of the year was the release of more than 6,000 Partula snails into the wild in French Polynesia. 'Among them, 1,640 were bred at Marwell Zoo, marking the zoo's largest-ever contribution to a conservation reintroduction project.' Debbie Pearson, animal registrar, said: 'Our annual stocktake is an essential part of zoo legislation, and we're pleased to share this year's results. 'With more than 500 animals across 145 species, it's been a thrilling year with some exciting firsts for Marwell. 'The data we collect is shared through the Zims (Zoological Information Management System) Species360 database, which plays a vital role in global conservation breeding programmes.' The final report for last year recorded 145 species, including 19 invertebrate species, 13 fish, four amphibians, 21 reptiles, 30 birds, and 58 mammals.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Penguins and ‘forest giraffe' among animals totted up at Hampshire zoo
A colony of Humboldt penguins, a rare okapi calf and a critically-endangered, cotton-top tamarin baby are among the new arrivals totted up in the annual stocktake at a Hampshire zoo. Marwell Zoo, near Winchester, carried out the audit as part of its licence requirements and staff counted more than 500 animals across 145 species. The centre's penguin enclosure this year included the addition of 10 Humboldt penguins which will form part of a European breeding programme. The zoo celebrated the birth of a 'forest giraffe' okapi calf, born to five-year-old Niari in October as well as the baby cotton-top tamarin named Fester last year. The herd of Przewalski's horse foals, which were once extinct in the wild but have seen a comeback thanks to conservation efforts, also grew by four in the past year. And other arrivals in 2024 included Warjun, a male snow leopard which came from the Czech Republic; and Cherry, a female red panda introduced as a companion for Tashi, Marwell's resident male red panda. A zoo spokeswoman said: 'One of the zoo's most extraordinary conservation achievements of the year was the release of more than 6,000 Partula snails into the wild in French Polynesia. 'Among them, 1,640 were bred at Marwell Zoo, marking the zoo's largest-ever contribution to a conservation reintroduction project.' Debbie Pearson, animal registrar, said: 'Our annual stocktake is an essential part of zoo legislation, and we're pleased to share this year's results. 'With more than 500 animals across 145 species, it's been a thrilling year with some exciting firsts for Marwell. 'The data we collect is shared through the Zims (Zoological Information Management System) Species360 database, which plays a vital role in global conservation breeding programmes.' The final report for last year recorded 145 species, including 19 invertebrate species, 13 fish, four amphibians, 21 reptiles, 30 birds, and 58 mammals.
