A rare glutinous snail has begun laying eggs while being transported from Wales to a zoo in Kent, as part of a nationwide effort to save the species. Once widespread across the UK, the fingertip-sized snail is now known only in Llyn Tegid in Eryri National Park, with habitat disruption and environmental changes blamed for its decline.

Wingham Wildlife Park brought 24 snails from Wales in July, and they produced about 12 egg pods during the six-hour journey. Starting with six adults, the park has bred hundreds of young in two months and recently moved 130 babies to establish a new colony. Several other zoos and the Freshwater Habitats Trust are working to breed the snails and identify suitable sites for their eventual release into the wild.