2,000 endangered snails reintroduced to the wild in Brunswick County pond

BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — After 20 years of living only in captivity, the federally endangered Magnificent Ramshorn has been returned to the wild.

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) reintroduced 2,000 of the aquatic snails into a pond on NCWRC Game Lands in Brunswick County on Thursday. 

“They are a unique part of North Carolina’s natural history heritage. The original wild populations died out from degradation of natural habitats and poor water quality,” said NCWRC’s Inland Fisheries Chief Christian Waters. “It has been a labor of dedication, thoughtful planning, partnerships and support from our Commissioners to make this extremely significant conservation win occur.” 

The Magnificent Ramshorn is a large freshwater snail, endemic (found nowhere else in the world) to the lower Cape Fear River basin in North Carolina. The snail is about 1.5 inches long when fully grown, with leopard-like spots on its shell and a rich, maroon-colored body.  

“We are excited about the promising early results, representing a significant step toward species recovery,” said Emilia Omerberg, NCWRC Aquatic Snail Biologist. “Initial monitoring indicates the snails have survived and reproduced in the pond, including the first wild hatches since the early 2000s.”   

NCWRC biologists will monitor the snails’ progress and may add more to the pond at a later date.