The Economic Times

In 1990s, Samoa released a predatory flatworm as a weapon against giant African land snails. 49 years later, the predator has outlived its original target-control mission and threatens native snails instead

The introduction of the predatory flatworm, Platydemus manokwari, to Samoa aimed to tackle the invasive giant African snails. However, this new predator unexpectedly targeted local snail populations, resulting in a drastic decline and even extinction of native species, as they lacked any defenses. Samoa's situation serves as a cautionary tale about the unintended consequences of biological control measures in ecosystems.