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Endangered snail that is only found in southeastern North Carolina reintroduced in the wild

PRE News & Ideas | By Annette Weston
Published November 17, 2023 at 12:17 PM EST
North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission employees stock Magnificent Ramshorn into a pond in Brunswick County Wednesday October 4, 2023.
Jonathon Gruenke/North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission
North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission employees stock Magnificent Ramshorn into a pond in Brunswick County Wednesday October 4, 2023.

After 20 years of living only in captivity, Magnificent Ramshorn has been returned to the wild.

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission reintroduced 2,000 of the aquatic snails into a pond on NCWRC Game Lands in Brunswick County.

NCWRC’s Inland Fisheries Chief Christian Waters said they are a unique part of North Carolina’s natural history heritage.

The original wild populations died out from degradation of natural habitats and poor water quality, and the snail is endemic to the lower Cape Fear River basin – meaning they’re found nowhere else in the world.
Annette Weston
Annette is originally a Midwest gal, born and raised in Michigan, but with career stops in many surrounding states, the Pacific Northwest, and various parts of the southeast. An award-winning journalist and mother of four, Annette moved to eastern North Carolina in 2019 to be closer to family – in particular, her two young grandchildren. It’s possible that a -27 day with a -68 windchill in Minnesota may have also played a role in that decision. In her spare time, Annette does a lot of kiddo cuddling, reading, and producing the coolest Halloween costumes anyone has ever seen. She has also worked as a diversity and inclusion facilitator serving school districts and large corporations. It’s the people that make this beautiful area special, and she wants to share those stories that touch the hearts of others. If you have a story idea to share, please reach out by email to westona@cravencc.edu.
See stories by Annette Weston