The Guardian's Exclusive: A Family's Quest to Save Europe's Endangered Glutinous Snail

The Family's Mission to Save the Glutinous Snail

Ian Hughes and his son, Ben, are driving through the hills of north Wales with an array of homemade animal artefacts. They finally reach Llyn Tegid – Bala Lake, where, knee-deep in the water, Ian brandishes two glutinous snails.

The snails have been driven to extinction in England by poor water quality. Pollutants from agriculture and industry have ruined their habitats in ponds, ditches, lakes, and streams. The lake in Gwynedd hosts the last remaining wild population of glutinous snails in Britain.

The Conservation Efforts

Hughes has dedicated more than a decade to conserving the tiny mollusc and other rare species. This year, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has listed the snail as one of the threatened species that will benefit from a £60m government funding boost.

With the funding, the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums will receive support to build ark populations of the glutinous snail, while the Freshwater Habitats Trust hopes to use new resources to find locations suited to wild reintroductions.

The Impact of Conservation

Hughes's passion for invertebrates extends to convincing other people to care about them. He writes children's books, which Ben illustrates, about the species he has studied, and the pair sell T-shirts showcasing their wildlife drawings.

Ben says, 'Well, why do we matter? We're part of a huge living system. If you take a cog out of a machine, it doesn't work any more.'

The Future of the Glutinous Snail

Now, Hughes hopes the Defra funding will help the conservation efforts he has long championed. The goal is to keep the snails moving and preserve their population.

By continually moving snails from one container to another, Hughes and his family aim to prevent the water from becoming polluted and ensure the survival of the species.