{"id":4681,"date":"2015-05-21T10:31:00","date_gmt":"2015-05-21T10:31:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.blog.sdps-bbs.com\/?p=4681"},"modified":"2025-07-29T15:28:26","modified_gmt":"2025-07-29T19:28:26","slug":"50-hellbenders-successfully-moved-to-three-indiana-zoos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/50-hellbenders-successfully-moved-to-three-indiana-zoos\/","title":{"rendered":"50 Hellbenders Successfully Moved to Three Indiana Zoos"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

\"hellbender\"<\/a>\u200bThe next big step in the initiative to save the hellbenders of Indiana was completed on May 18, 2015, as three hellbenders were transferred from Purdue University’s Aquaculture Research Lab<\/a> to the Columbian Park Zoo<\/a> in Lafayette. This is the last of 50\u00a0hellbenders\u00a0transferred from the lab to Columbian Park Zoo, Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo<\/a>\u00a0and Mesker Park Zoo<\/a> in Evansville.<\/p>\n

In 2013, Associate Professor of Wildlife Science Rod Williams<\/a> and his team collected 300 eggs from the Blue River<\/a> in Southern Indiana. These eggs grew into young hellbenders in the lab and were transferred to the three zoos to continue growing to adulthood. In the wild, hellbender mortality rate is extremely high, as high as 99%. The salamanders are at their most vulnerable state during their juvenile years, and being raised in captivity will greatly improve their chances of survival when they are released back into the wild in a couple years.<\/p>\n

Once released, the hellbenders will be tracked via radio transmitters to monitor their movements, habitat preferences and survivorship. The last group of 18 hellbenders released into the wild had a 22.5% survival rate after one year, and Williams hopes to improve on that. A group of\u00a080 more hellbenders will be released in 2016 with 130 in the following year. Williams’ goal of 40-50% survival rate would mark huge progress in saving the hellbenders of Indiana.<\/p>\n

Resources<\/strong>
\nHelp the Hellbender<\/a>, Purdue Extension
\nThe Nature of Teaching: Adaptations for Aquatic Amphibians<\/a>, The Education Store, Purdue Extension resource center
\nHow Our Zoos Help Hellbenders<\/a>, The Education Store
\nHellbenders Rock!<\/a>, The Education Store
\nHelp the Hellbender, North America’s Giant Salamander<\/a>, The Education Store
\nHow Anglers and Paddlers Can Help the Hellbender<\/a>, Purdue Extension-FNR YouTube Video
\nSubscribe to Purdue Extension-FNR YouTube Channel<\/a><\/p>\n

Rod Williams, Associate Professor of Wildlife Science
\nPurdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u200bThe next big step in the initiative to save the hellbenders of Indiana was completed on May 18, 2015, as three hellbenders were transferred from Purdue University’s Aquaculture Research Lab to the Columbian Park Zoo in Lafayette. This is the last of 50\u00a0hellbenders\u00a0transferred from the lab to Columbian Park Zoo, Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo\u00a0and Mesker […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39,44,51,54],"tags":[57,62,69,72],"class_list":["post-4681","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-aquaculturefish","category-gotnatureforkids","category-ponds","category-wildlife","tag-aquaculturefish","tag-got-nature-for-kids","tag-ponds","tag-wildlife","audience-for-enthusiasts","audience-for-homeowners","audience-for-landowners","audience-for-professionals"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t