Endangered snakes survive world-first release!

Post-release surveys confirm three of six rewilded snakes surviving On Country, with high probability of all snakes enduring

Conservation organisation Aussie Ark has conducted a post-release survey of its captive-born endangered Broad-headed Snakes to discover at least half have survived in the wild, with high probability all six snakes are thriving.

It is only the second time in Australia’s history that a wild release of captive-born snakes has been attempted. The first attempt was unsuccessful, due to predation.

Aussie Ark – in partnership with the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and Traditional Owners of the Shoalhaven region - first made history with the species when it secured 17 founders and began the world’s first breeding and rewilding program in October 2024.

Three more adults joined the program in November 2024 completing the licensed collection of 20 adults, which were housed and then paired in custom-built terrariums at Conservation Ark in Somersby NSW. In early 2025 Aussie Ark celebrated breeding success; the world’s first captive breeding of wild-sourced adults. To date, Aussie Ark has bred eight juveniles, and in May of this year six of these were famously rewilded back On Country near Nowra NSW where their parents were first secured.

Since release, UTS Professor Jonathan Webb’s team - which includes Indigenous Rangers Ash Thomas and Keenan Tobin and UTS researchers Rhys Cairncross, Kaitlyn Lawler and Orlando Howells - has conducted fortnightly post release surveys to monitor survivorship. To date, Professor Webb has confirmed three of the six Aussie Ark snakes have survived the critical first months, which is unprecedented.

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

Conservation Ark Ranger Dylan Wallis was one of the original Aussie Ark team members who secured the original 20 founders and oversees the breeding and rewilding program. During the most recent survey he was thrilled to work with Professor Webb securing one of Aussie Ark’s smallest snakes, whose bulging belly indicated a recent meal.

“It was such an incredible feeling to hold one of our captive-born snakes again and see how healthy it was,” Mr Wallis said. “To know that our snakes are surviving on these ridges means that our program is working…and hopefully it continues forever!”

Aussie Ark Co-CEO Hayley Shute is also incredibly proud of the result.

“The Broad-headed Snake is only found in the Sydney area so it’s OUR snake to protect!” Ms Shute said. “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.”

The endangered Broad-Headed Snake is one of Australia’s rarest reptiles, found only within the rocky escarpment of the Sydney sandstone basin and surrounding ranges. The species has suffered significant declines due to illegal rock removal, habitat disturbance and fragmentation, which destroy the critical shelter sites the snakes rely on for survival, hunting and thermoregulation. With populations isolated and under increasing pressure, conservation intervention is now considered critical to preventing the species’ extinction.

Aussie Ark is funding an holistic conservation program including breeding, rewilding, habitat restoration, and an Indigenous Ranger program to help protect both snake and landscape.

Please help Aussie Ark save the endangered Broad-headed Snake by donating now at aussieark.org.au