"Lonesome" George, the last known member of the Hawaiian tree snail species has died, the the species is now extinct. He was raised in a breeding facility at the University of Hawaii in Manoa in the early 2000s. George died January 1, 2019.
Hawaiian tree snails feed on the "gunk" that grows on leaves, which reduces the abundance of fungi and that helps protect the host tree from diseases. Biologists think healthy snail populations could have helped prevent a new fungal pathogen that is currently wiping out native trees.
The reason for the snails' decline is an invasive species, the rosy wolfsnail, introduced to Hawaii to eat other the giant African snails in 1995. Unless this invasive species is eliminated, there will not be a safe place for the indigenous species.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2019/01/george-the-lonely-snail-dies-in-hawaii-extinction/?cmpid=org=ngp::mc=social::src=twitter::cmp=editorial::add=tw20190108animals-lonelytreesnail::rid=&sf205602434=1
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