The giant African land snail (GALS) has returned to Florida for a third time. The invasive species was first detected in the state in 1969. It took seven years and $1 million to get rid of them. The gastropods reappeared in 2011 and were eradicated in 2021 at a cost of $23 million. On June 23, 2022, Florida officials reported a GALS had been found in the New Port Richey area of Pasco County.
The Florida Department of Agriculture said that 1,000 giant African land snails have been collected so far in Pasco County. The eradication effort continues.
Officials issued a quarantine to control the invasive species, which devours vegetation, damages structures and can carry a parasite dangerous to humans