Ultra-Rare Plant Returns to Wales After Over-Collection Pushes It to Near-Extinction

One of the world’s rarest plants has been reintroduced to a secret site in north Wales after being pushed to near-extinction by specialists over-collecting them due to their beauty.

Footage released by Chester Zoo shows a group of local volunteers helping to plant 30 critically endangered Cotoneaster cambricus shrubs into ground at the undisclosed site.

The zoo’s efforts build on 40 years of work to boost wild populations that are “found nowhere else on the planet other than exposed, isolated cliff faces in North Wales,” according to a press statement.

“This botanical treasure was once widespread across the area in the 18th Century, but their numbers dropped to just six individual plants because of over-collection for their ornamental beauty,” the zoo’s statement added. Credit: Chester Zoo via Storyful

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