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Fort Worth Zoo releases 55 rare snakes into the wild

The Fort Worth Zoo is one of only four breeding centers for this species.

FORT WORTH, Texas — Fifty-five snakes of a rare breed, which were hatched and raised at the Fort Worth Zoo, were released into the wild, zoo officials said.

The Fort Worth Zoo said it released 55 Louisiana pine snakes in the Kisatchie National Forest in Louisiana. The Louisiana pine snake is one of the rarest species of snakes in North America, and the Fort Worth Zoo is one of only four breeding centers for this species, zoo officials said in a release.

It was the zoo's seventh annual release and the most snakes released in one year, they said. The Fort Worth Zoo said two of its partners, Ellen Trout Zoo and Memphis Zoo, were also releasing more snakes this week. 

More than 90% of the snake’s historic habitat is gone, making it one of the most endangered snakes in North America, according to the zoo. The species' population is threatened by logging and wood harvesting in its forest habitat. 

You can watch the release in a video provided by the Fort Worth Zoo here: 

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