HONOLULU (KHON2) -- A rare Hawaiian snail species was given another chance at life after DLNR Snail Extinction Prevention Program officials released the first batch on Oahu. Get Hawaii's latest morning news delivered to your inbox, sign up for News 2 You The DLNR partnered with the University of Hawaii at Manoa, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Division of Forestry and Wildlife to return Achatinella fuscobasis to the wild after more than 33 years in captivity. 5 ʻalalā reintroduced to wild on Maui reserve The first batch was reintroduced into the Honolulu Watershed Forest Reserve of the Ko‘olau Mountains after becoming extinct from the Hawaiian landscape in 1991. UH researcher Dr. Michael Hadfield collected eleven individuals from the only known populations to help "rebound more than 1,000 individuals in captivity at the SEPP lab in Pearl City. Our snails are true public-trust jewels of nature and culture. They are drivers of ecosystem function, collectively cleaning and cycling nutrients in the forest. They have deep ties to Hawaiian tradition with revered significance in chant, hula and lei making. They are also just really cute. Dr. David Sischo, SEPP Coordinator The snails' new home in the Ko‘olau Mountains is fenced off to keep unwanted animals out and will expose them to trade winds, misty rains and more for them to adapt to. Officials said the habitat took about five years to prepare with staff spending "countless hours clearing weeds and other invasive plants and restoring the area with native species." “Our immediate objective was to secure the species from extinction by getting their numbers up and having both captive and wild colonies. Long-term, we would like to see thriving colonies back in the wild where they belong,” Sischo said. Check out more news from around Hawaii Another group is set to be released next February. You can visit Bishop Museum or the Honolulu Zoo to get an up-close look at Achatinella fuscobasis.