At the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, a new chapter in wildlife restoration and education is being written with the Ohio Center for Wildlife Conservation (OCWC). Opening with the North America Trek region this summer, this state-of-the-art facility will introduce guests to Ohio’s endangered species, including the eastern hellbender, our work with freshwater mussels, and Plains garter snakes. As the OCWC prepares to open its doors, it marks a significant milestone in the ongoing commitment to conservation, offering a new venue for both education and action to protect these unique species.

Ohio is teeming with fascinating wildlife, but one of its most unique residents is struggling to survive. Meet the eastern hellbender, North America’s largest amphibian, affectionately nicknamed the "snot otter" for its slimy, slippery coating. These incredible salamanders grow up to two feet in length, live entirely in water, and hide under submerged rocks in Ohio’s pristine streams. Unfortunately, decades of habitat loss, pollution, and sedimentation have driven their populations to the brink of extinction in Ohio and neighboring states like West Virginia.

Eastern hellbenders have declined dramatically in Ohio and West Virginia over the last three decades. A statewide effort to reverse this trend is being led by the Ohio Hellbender Partnership, which includes The Wilds, the Columbus Zoo, The Ohio State University, other zoos in Ohio, and academic and government organizations. For over a decade, The Wilds and the Columbus Zoo teams have reared young hellbenders from eggs collected in their native range. 

The team monitors them on-site in a lab until they hatch, hand-rears them until they are ready to release, and tags them for monitoring purposes before they are re-released into their native ranges. Hellbenders raised at The Wilds are released in West Virginia, and those at the Columbus Zoo are translocated to release sites with high-quality habitats in eastern Ohio. Thousands of hellbenders have been released in Ohio since 2012 by The Wilds and the Columbus Zoo. In 2024 alone, The Wilds released 341 hellbenders back into West Virginia and Ohio streams.

Remarkably, 2023 marked a major milestone: for the first time, researchers documented wild reproduction by hellbenders that were released years ago. The Wilds and the Columbus Zoo are leaders in hellbender conservation, raising and releasing these amphibians in partnership with organizations like the Ohio Division of Wildlife and the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources.

Hellbenders are more than a quirky species with a funny name. They play a critical role in stream ecosystems, feeding on crayfish and other aquatic invertebrates while serving as indicators of water quality. Healthy hellbender populations mean healthy streams, which benefit humans, wildlife, and the environment as a whole.

Unfortunately, sedimentation from soil erosion and pollutants in waterways have made many streams uninhabitable for hellbenders. Efforts to restore their habitat and reintroduce them to the wild require the help of local communities. Simple actions, like planting native vegetation to filter runoff or leaving rocks undisturbed in streams, can make a big difference. The eastern hellbender may be elusive, but its survival depends on all of us.

As we look ahead, the Ohio Center for Wildlife Conservation will become a hub for learning about these incredible creatures and others that call Ohio home, including Plains garter snakes and freshwater mussels. The center will offer interactive habitats and engaging opportunities to support conservation efforts in new ways.

By protecting our streams, we’re not just saving the “snot otters”—we’re safeguarding a legacy of biodiversity for future generations.