Nanaimo girl creates playground and stadium for pet snails

Nanaimo -

When Olivia started searching for snails at the start of the pandemic, her mom Sarah wasn’t surprised.

“She just loves collecting insects,” Sarah says. “She’s always been our bug girl!”

But there was something different about the snails, which inspired Olivia to bring them home and name them.

“Steve,” Olivia starts listing their names. “Steve Number Two. Steve Number Three…”

While their names may seem mundane, the world Olivia built for them is anything but.

“I like making them happy,” Olivia says.

Which is why she created a pandemic playground for the snails out of popsicle sticks. Set in a large container, and surrounded by grass, leaves, and snackable flowers, it includes a slide and swing for the slugs to play on.

“The routine of getting to care for them every day was something I think helped us through Covid,” Sarah says.

Olivia’s dad Colin says the snails were the highlight of his Father’s Day celebrations.

“They decided to design some snail Olympics,” Colin smiles, before showing me pictures of a homemade arena. It’s decorated with flags, and surrounded by spinach to motivate the "athletes" to race towards the finish line. There’s even a podium for the top three winners.

“It was great!” Colin smiles.

Thanks to their official fast-motion replay video, it was clear the snail Colin was betting on won.

The hard-shelled hustler even got hardware to take home.

“We made a golden cup that we just filled with [the snail's] favourite food!” Olivia smiles.

When I ask which snail dominated, Sarah answers: “Steve won!” When I ask which specific Steve won, she shakes her head and laughs. “They’re all Steve’s!”

But perhaps the best prize of all was Olivia’s post-competition cuddles.

“I usually put them on my hand,” Olivia says, patting a snail’s shell. “So they know it’s safe.”

They seem to have felt so safe that a pair of Steves started a family of their own. Being with the babies couldn’t have been better for Olivia.

“She’s just a really gentle spirit and heart,” Sarah says, showing me pictures of Olivia holding the baby snails on her fingertips. “She likes to take care of things.”

Colin says that watching his daughter be so creative and responsible with the snails has been inspiring.

“It’s being able to find joy in the little things.” It's a sentiment they celebrate by playing the snails' favourite songs.

“Basically songs by Queen,” Olivia laughs, adding the snails wiggle their heads more when Freddie Mercury sings.

“They’re big fans of Queen,” Colin confirms with a smile.

“It’s probably the vibrations of the music,” Sarah smiles, before laughing. “And we play Queen so often they’re not given a choice!”

But if you watch the snails respond to Queen in the official fast-motion replay video, it seems as though the "Radio Ga-Ga” song really makes these Steve’s go-go on the dance floor.