Wellington Council's cracking down on mountain bikers building illegal trails in a bid to protect a rare, tiny snail population.
Te Ahumairangi Hill is the only home in the world potamopyrgus oppidanus snails, which live along a particular stream.
Department of Conservation freshwater technical advisor Tom Drinan said the species is endemic, and because of its rarity, the snail has international significance.
They are about three millimetres in length, hard to find and their habitat is extremely vulnerable.
Wellington Council open space parks manager Myfanwy Emeny said the threat to the species is people riding on illegal trails through that habitat. Rangers have reported at least 50 of the tracks.
"They've not just ridden down an area, but actually cut vegetation or actually done earthworks, and I guess had a more significant impact on the ground around them," she said.
"It's been something that's been ongoing but it's really escalated over the past three to six months...If we can crack on this illegal trail building I think the snails are going to have a really good chance."
The council is now looking at other options to combat the problem short of a mountain biking ban, including fines and trespass notices.
"We're actually working with the mountain bike community on that, so they're backing what we're doing because of course they don't want to lose the privileges of riding here," Ms Emeny said.
Wellington Mountain Bike Club president John Baddiley agreed bikers should only be riding in authorised areas.
"It can be slow and frustrating at times to get authorisation but it's the right way. We should never be building trails without authorisation or riding in areas we shouldn't be allowed," he said.
However, the rest of the biking community has been divided, with some suggesting online the snails be moved instead of them.
"Ultimately, it's the council's responsibility to determine what is the right enforcement actions," Mr Baddiley said. "We do the things that we can in terms of informing our members and the wider community about the fact that the trails are shared, where you're allowed to ride and where you're not."
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