The slow race to save Brittany’s rare Quimper snails from a tramway – one gastropod at a time

In Brest, this protected species, found only in Brittany and the Basque Country, is being painstakingly moved to a new home before their habitat is destroyed

On a drizzly November evening, ecologists in Brest, Brittany, are rooting through the damp undergrowth flanking an unmarked and unlit track going nowhere. They are searching for Quimper snails. It's a slow and meticulous job: the snails are small, come out only at night and prefer the dank, dark cover of soggy leaves and twigs.

Soon, their natural habitat here will be destroyed by a 200m (170m) public transport project, which includes a new tramway.