{"id":9479,"date":"2017-07-06T09:00:52","date_gmt":"2017-07-06T09:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/?p=9479"},"modified":"2026-07-20T02:33:17","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T06:33:17","slug":"zoos-work-with-purdue-university-for-hellbender-conservation-efforts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/zoos-work-with-purdue-university-for-hellbender-conservation-efforts\/","title":{"rendered":"Zoos Work with Purdue University for Hellbender Conservation Efforts"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"How<\/a>Purdue University has teamed up with four zoos to protect hellbenders. This effort is a worldwide collaboration as zoos, government agencies, and other conservation groups, implement much-needed conservation initiatives. This recently published publication titled How Our Zoos Help Hellbenders<\/a> shares the current zoos in Indiana that are collaborating with Purdue in this conservation effort.\u00a0Zoos are conservation and research organizations that play critical roles both in protecting wildlife and their habitats and in educating the public. Thus, with hellbenders experiencing declines over the past several decades, teaming up with zoos in order to preserve and protect the hellbender species is ideal. The zoos that are currently partners with Purdue University in this effort are: Mesker Park Zoo<\/a> in Evansville, Indiana;\u00a0Columbian Park Zoo<\/a> in Lafayette, Indiana; Fort Wayne Children\u2019s Zoo<\/a> in Fort Wayne, Indiana; and\u00a0Nashville Zoo<\/a> in Nashville, Tennessee.<\/p>\n

Three videos have been released showing how the zoos are working with Purdue University to help protect hellbenders. You can check them out below!<\/p>\n

Resources:<\/b>
\nConservation Efforts<\/a>, Mesker Park Zoo
\nHellbender Research Participation Spotlight<\/a>, Columbian Park Zoo
\nConservation<\/a>, Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo
\nHellbender Conservation<\/a>, Nashville Zoo
\nPurdue Partners with Indiana Zoos for Hellbender Conservation<\/a>\u00a0– Purdue Newsroom
\nHelp the Hellbender<\/a>, Purdue Extension-FNR
\nNature of Teaching<\/a>, Purdue Extension-FNR
\nI found this in my barn. Is it a Hellbender?<\/a>\u00a0– Purdue FNR Extension, Got Nature<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Nick Burgmeier<\/a>, Research Biologist and Extension Wildlife Specialist
\nPurdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Purdue University has teamed up with four zoos to protect hellbenders. This effort is a worldwide collaboration as zoos, government agencies, and other conservation groups, implement much-needed conservation initiatives. This recently published publication titled How Our Zoos Help Hellbenders shares the current zoos in Indiana that are collaborating with Purdue in this conservation effort.\u00a0Zoos are […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":39,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39,79,42,44,54],"tags":[692,467,691,234,196,662,693,257,690],"class_list":["post-9479","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-aquaculturefish","category-aqua","category-forestry","category-gotnatureforkids","category-wildlife","tag-columbia-park-zoo","tag-conservation","tag-devil-dogs","tag-fort-wayne-childrens-zoo","tag-hellbender","tag-mesker-park-zoo","tag-nashville-park-zoo","tag-purdue-extension","tag-snot-otters","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\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