After nearly vanishing from French Polynesia, Partula snails are making a remarkable comeback thanks to a global conservation effort. These tiny tree mollusks, once abundant across the Society Islands, faced extinction when a carnivorous rosy wolf snail was introduced in 1974 to control another invasive species.

A pioneering rescue initiative launched in 1991 by the Zoological Society of London has since grown to include 15 zoos worldwide. Conservationists have reintroduced over 30,000 snails to four islands, including 11 species once considered extinct in the wild. The effort recently achieved a major milestone with the discovery of wild-born Partula tohiveana on Mo'orea, a species once deemed lost forever.

Before release, each snail receives a dab of fluorescent paint that glows blue under ultraviolet light, allowing researchers to track their progress. The snails play a crucial ecological role as "cleaners of the tropical forest," clearing forest fungi and maintaining nutrient cycling. Their return not only restores ecosystem balance but also reconnects Polynesian culture with a species that has been part of the islands' heritage for millennia.