The New Zealand scientist hoping to bring the Norfolk Island snail back from the brink of extinction

A New Zealand scientist is hoping to bring an Australian snail back from the brink of extinction.

The Campbell's keeled glass-snail is endemic to Norfolk Island, which is around 1100 kilometres northwest of Auckland.

It was rediscovered in 2020 after being considered extinct for over 20 years.

James Joseph is researching the conservation of the snail as part of his PhD at Western Sydney University.

He told Checkpoint that he was part of a team that had released more than 300 into Norfolk Island National Park in July 2025.

Sydney's Taronga Zoo is on track to release almost four times that amount in 2026.

"They're just breeding like crazy now," Joseph said.

Joseph said the population had gone from 30 to 1200 in six years.

"They're not often at the forefront of conservation, but they're just so special.

"They're funky in their own right, and they are so important for our environment."

Joseph told Checkpoint that snail breeding and reintroduction did not always go to plan.

"We were pre-warned before doing it that, once they're released, we might never even see them again," he said.

But Joseph said the team had come across two of them in January, and another two in March.

"The WhatsApp group was definitely going off."

"It's not your traditional exciting group chat, but for us, and all the collaborators in that group chat, it was very exciting."

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