PREVIEW

Rare snakes bred in captivity are thriving after being released into the Australian wild in a world-first conservation project.

At least three of six endangered Broad-headed Snakes released near Nowra, New South Wales, have survived their crucial first months in the wild.

Conservationists say there is also a strong chance the remaining three are still alive.

The release by conservation organisation Aussie Ark is only the second time captive-born snakes have been reintroduced into the wild in Australia.

The previous attempt, involving a different project, ended unsuccessfully after the snakes were killed by predators.

But fortnightly surveys of the latest release have produced encouraging results, with researchers confirming three of the six Broad-headed Snakes are surviving in their natural habitat.

One of the smallest snakes was recently found with a noticeably bulging belly – indicating it had successfully hunted and eaten in the wild.

Professor Jonathan Webb, of the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), said: “This is a really exciting project because there’s only been one other reintroduction project involving snakes in Australia, and that project sadly failed because the snakes were all eaten by predators.

“This reintroduction of the Broad-headed Snake is a world-first, and so far the results are really encouraging.”

The project began in October 2024 when Aussie Ark, working with UTS and Traditional Owners of the Shoalhaven region, secured 17 wild Broad-headed Snakes to establish a breeding and rewilding programme.

Another three adults joined the following month, bringing the founding population to 20.

The snakes were housed and paired in specially built terrariums at Conservation Ark in Somersby, NSW.

The programme celebrated its first breeding success in early 2025, producing the world's first captive-bred offspring from wild-sourced Broad-headed Snake adults.

Eight juveniles have since been bred, with six released back On Country near Nowra in May.

Researchers and Indigenous Rangers have returned to the area every two weeks to monitor their progress.

Conservation Ark Ranger Dylan Wallis, who helped collect the original founding snakes, was among those who found one of the surviving juveniles during the latest survey.

He said: “It was such an incredible feeling to hold one of our captive-born snakes again and see how healthy it was.

“To know that our snakes are surviving on these ridges means that our program is working…and hopefully it continues forever!”

The Broad-headed Snake is one of Australia's rarest reptiles and is found only around the Sydney sandstone basin and surrounding ranges.

The endangered species relies on rocky habitats for shelter, hunting and regulating its body temperature.

Its numbers have fallen as a result of illegal rock removal, habitat disturbance and fragmentation, leaving remaining populations increasingly isolated.

Aussie Ark Co-CEO Hayley Shute said the latest results offered hope that all six released snakes could still be alive.

She said: “The Broad-headed Snake is only found in the Sydney area so it’s OUR snake to protect!

“We’ve invested literally hundreds of hours of care into each individual, so it was hard doing the release knowing all the challenges they face.

“To get confirmation that at least half of them are thriving in the wild offers hope that all of them are alive ‘n’ well, and that’s such inspiration for the continuation of our program.”

Aussie Ark is continuing to fund the conservation programme, which combines captive breeding and rewilding with habitat restoration and an Indigenous Ranger programme designed to protect both the endangered snake and its habitat.