Did you know there are probably less than 100 Javan Green Magpies in the world? Poachers are such a problem in Indonesian that 6 pairs have been sent to Chester Zoo to try and save the species from extinction. These rare birds needed snails to eat and not just any snails but snails that have been kept indoors so they haven’t been exposed to bird parasites. They asked us to indoor-rearing some snails for them and so far all is going well. The birds are said to be very pleased with the menu.
Closer to home, corncrakes have become rare in the UK largely because of changes to farming practices. Again this year Pensthorpe Conservation Trust with the RSPB and London Zoo is captive rearing corncrakes to reintroduce them in protected areas and they need baby snails for the baby birds. So our mollusc workforce is kept busy laying two clutches of snails a week to send out to them.
It’s good to be involved in conservation projects like these. It makes life with the molluscs more exciting.
