19 “It was incredible to be a part of this release,” Graber says. “I think we all got into this line of work because we care about animals and want to make a difference. This release has the potential to make a huge impact on the survival of a species, and that is what we are all about.” The DZS team raises these snails inside a climate- controlled, out-of-public-view room inside the Zoo’s National Amphibian Conservation Center. There, Graber attends to the snails’ every need. Despite being some of the smallest animals at the Zoo, caring for them is no tiny task as the Center often has thousands of snails at any given time. Once the snails are mature, DZS staff members send them to the Saint Louis Zoo in preparation for release. After that, they are shipped to Tahiti, where they are introduced to their native habitat. So far, the conservation program’s results seem promising — especially after this latest release, says Mark Vassallo, DZS curator of amphibians. However, it will be years before we can see its true impact. In the future, Vassallo hopes to increase the DZS’s involvement in the Partula Programme Consortium and participate in even bigger and more impactful releases. “At first look, it seems the snails are taking well to their natural habitat,” he says “Things are looking bright for the future of this critical species.” MARK VASSALLO AND ERICA GRABER
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