The Darling River snail, once abundant in the Murray-Darling basin, was believed to have disappeared until colonies were identified in weirs at Wilcannia and Louth from late 2024. Now, a new colony of about 50 living snails has been discovered more than 700 kilometers upstream near Walgett, confirmed by Aboriginal rangers through the Australian Museum in September.
Charles Sturt University river ecologist Martin Mallen-Cooper described the find as "unbelievably exciting." While the construction of weirs and irrigation systems has contributed to the snail's decline since the 1960s, the discovery of colonies inside irrigation pipes at Louth and Tilpa raises "fascinating" possibilities about artificial habitats.
"It's a glimmer of hope that you can actually create habitats and add flow, and you'll get some of these species back," Professor Mallen-Cooper said.
The find is deeply significant for the Ngarrangarra-li Walaaybaa Rangers in Walgett, backed by the Dharriwaa Elders Group. Ranger Tyrin Hickey, 31, had never seen a Darling River snail in the wild before.
"It sort of felt surreal," he said. "I've seen them on the internet in photos, but in my mind it didn't match up, so I was a bit anxious to see if it was the right snail or not."
Senior ranger John Sands, 56, immediately suspected the species when a Walgett resident tipped off the rangers about snails in the weir. He remembered seeing them as a child swimming in the Namoi River, a tributary of the Barwon-Darling.
"I was very excited because I always believed they were still there," he said. He estimated it had been more than 30 years since he last saw one.
The rangers plan to explore a second location nearby after a snail shell was found on a riverbank last week, offering further hope for the species' survival.