On August 29th, the Colombian Park Zoo in Lafayette hosted ‘Help the Hellbender Day’, an outreach event filled with fun and educational activities to promote awareness of this fascinating at-risk salamander. Partners in the community including Purdue University, Illinois – Indiana Sea Grant, Tippecanoe County Partnership for Water Quality, and the Wabash River Enhancement Corporation provided activities and booths to teach the community about water quality issues and how they can get involved to help the hellbender. The Salamander Tale exhibit featuring the Hellbender Havoc video game made an appearance as well.

To play the Hellbender Havoc video game visit:
Hellbender Havoc Game, Apple Store
Hellbender Havoc Game, Google Play

Perhaps the most interesting part of the day was the zoo sharing a rare glimpse of the juvenile hellbenders. As one of Purdue University’s partners the zoo is helping raise the hellbenders to increase their numbers. The three hellbenders showed in the video were hatched at the Purdue’s Aquaculture Research Lab by Professor of Wildlife Science Rod Williams and his team. They were then transferred to the zoo last spring, where they will be studied and raised until they are mature enough to be released in the wild.

Purdue FNR Extension’s Aaron Doenges filmed this exciting day at the zoo and put together a Help the Hellbender Day video featuring zoo director Ron Breeding, education coordinator Amber Frederick, and hellbender keeper Noah Shields. The FNR team returned to the zoo on October 21st for its annual Boo at the Zoo​ event sharing resources on hellbenders.

Resources:
Help the Hellbender Day at Columbian Park Zoo video – Purdue Extension
Help the Hellbender – Purdue Extension
Help the Hellbender Facebook page
Ask the Expert: Learn All About Hellbenders and Take a Tour, Subscribe Purdue Extension – Forestry & Natural Resources (FNR) YouTube Channel
Ask the Expert video: Help the Hellbender – Dr. Stephen Spear of The Wilds, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Ask the Expert video: Live with Mesker Park Zoo and Botanical Gardens – Hellbenders, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
A Moment in the Wild video: Hellbender Hide, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
A Moment in the Wild video: Release Moment of Hellbenders,
How Anglers and Paddlers Can Help the Hellbender video, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Eastern Hellbender ID Video, Purdue Extension – FNR YouTube Channel
Hellbenders Rock!, The Education Store, Purdue Extension’s resource center
Help the Hellbender, North America’s Giant Salamander, The Education Store
How Our Zoos Help Hellbenders, The Education Store
The Nature of Teaching: Adaptations for Aquatic Amphibians, The Education Store
Healthy Water, Happy Home – Lesson Plan, The Education Store
Purdue Expert: Hellbender Salamander, Purdue University News YouTube Channel
FNR Assists in First Natural Breeding of Eastern Hellbender in Captivity, Purdue FNR News & Stories
Helping the Hellbender: Mesker Park Zoo Begins Captive Breeding Efforts, Purdue Agriculture News
Purdue partners with Indiana zoos for hellbender conservation – Purdue Agriculture News
Hellbender helped by Purdue-zoo partnership – WLFI
Williams Lab Herpetology and Conservation – Purdue FNR

Rod Williams, Professor of Wildlife Science and Assistant Provost for Engagement at Purdue University.
Purdue Department of Forestry & Natural Resources