{"id":6542,"date":"2016-03-14T08:00:11","date_gmt":"2016-03-14T08:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/?p=6542"},"modified":"2025-10-19T17:40:10","modified_gmt":"2025-10-19T21:40:10","slug":"helping-the-hellbenders-fw-zoo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/helping-the-hellbenders-fw-zoo\/","title":{"rendered":"New Extension Video – Helping the Hellbenders at the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"FW<\/a>The Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo<\/a> is one of three Indiana zoos working with Purdue University to study and raise hellbenders in captivity until they are ready to be released into the wild in an effort to grow their native population. Last spring, Rod Williams<\/a> and his team at the Aquaculture Research Lab<\/a> transferred young hellbenders to the zoo, where they will be reared\u00a0for the next couple years. The zoo also puts on an outreach program called Kids4Nature where hellbenders were featured as one of the animals children could vote for\u00a0with their quarters, collecting money for the hellbenders and other conservation projects.<\/p>\n

In this new video, former Education and Communications Director Cheryl Piropato explains more about the zoo’s outreach process with the hellbenders, and Hellbender Keeper Dave Messmann offers a behind-the-scenes look at the hellbenders themselves. Check out “Helping the Hellbenders at the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo<\/a>” \u00a0to see for yourself and learn more about the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo’s involvement in the Help the Hellbender initiative.<\/p>\n

The other two Indiana zoos are also doing great things to help the hellbenders. Columbian Park Zoo<\/a> in Lafayette held a “Help the Hellbender Day<\/a>” last summer with educational games and activities for the whole family to learn more about this at-risk species. Mesker Park Zoo<\/a> in Evansville is preparing a public hellbender exhibit that will be available later this spring. To stay updated in the world of hellbender outreach, check out HelpTheHellbender.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Resources:<\/strong>
\nHelping the Hellbenders at the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo<\/a> – Purdue Extension
\nHelpTheHellbender.org<\/a> – Purdue Extension
\nHelp the Hellbender Day at Columbian Park Zoo a Great Success<\/a> – Got Nature?
\nPurdue partners with Indiana zoos for hellbender conservation<\/a> – Purdue Agriculture News<\/p>\n

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

The Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo is one of three Indiana zoos working with Purdue University to study and raise hellbenders in captivity until they are ready to be released into the wild in an effort to grow their native population. Last spring, Rod Williams and his team at the Aquaculture Research Lab transferred young hellbenders […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":64,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39,44,54],"tags":[234,196,232,235,233],"class_list":["post-6542","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-aquaculturefish","category-gotnatureforkids","category-wildlife","tag-fort-wayne-childrens-zoo","tag-hellbender","tag-help-the-hellbender","tag-kids4nature","tag-salamander","audience-for-enthusiasts"],"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\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t