More than 1,300 tiny, critically endangered snails that were bred in a UK zoo were released on a remote Atlantic island in a bid by conservationists to save the species.The Desertas Island land snails were previously believed to be extinct as neither species had been spotted for over a century, Chester Zoo said.However, a team of conservationists rediscovered a small population of two species of the snails surviving on the rocky cliffs of Deserta Grande Island, near Madeira, thus beginning the rescue mission.The snails were brought to zoos in the UK and France, including Chester Zoo, who said they created the perfect conditions for the snails to thrive - successfully breeding both species for the first time ever in human care.1,329 snails raised in Chester were returned to Bugio Island as part of a reintroduction. The small island was chosen because the main threats to the snails, including invasive goats, rats, and mice, had been eradicated.Gerardo Garcia from Chester Zoo said that the reintroduction was “a major step in a species recovery plan.”“If it goes as well as we hope, more snails will follow them next spring. It’s a huge team effort which shows that it is possible to turn things around for highly threatened species,” Garcia said. Credit: Chester Zoo via Storyful