The rescue mission, led by Dr Isabel Hyman of the Australian Museum and Williams Clow, was prompted by a dramatic drop in the snail's numbers. Timed surveys found 68 live hairy snails in August 2025, falling to by November, 12 in February 2026, and just four in May. A comprehensive search in late July found only24 live specimens. In late August, the team discovered 20live snails in a timed survey and73 in a comprehensive search, offering cautious optimism. Within a month,Williams Clow took 30 hairy snails to Taronga, along with about20 surrogate snails of a closely related species used to trial habitat and diet adjustments. The surrogate snails have also been used to test conditions safely. The species is found only in a10-220 square metre patch of rainforest on Norfolk Island, threatened by feral rats and chickens, invasive Argentine ants, and climate change. The captive breeding program follows a successful release of another Norfolk Island snail, the Campbell's keeled glass-snail, after a breeding program from 221 to225.
Dr Hyman described the snail as having a "little domed shell" about seven millimetres across and "beautiful golden hairs." She said the hairs may help the snail move in moist environments. Williams Clow noted the nervousness of working with the last remaining individuals of a species, but said the use of a surrogate allowed for faster progress. "They're kind of the little guinea pigs, but they're going to play a really important role with how our target species goes," she said.