As part of a collaborative effort with Williams, the West Virginia Division of Wildlife, West Liberty University, and the Wilds, Oglebay Good Zoo reintroduced over 100 Eastern hellbenders to the local streams and rivers where the hellbenders originated as eggs.
The hellbenders, hatched and raised at the zoo since 2018, were released into two streams in Northern West Virginia over the past three weeks.
The Eastern hellbender, North America’s largest salamander, can grow up 30 inches in length. These elusive creatures thrive under large boulders in streams and rivers throughout the Appalachian region. Since the 1970s, their populations have been in decline due to sedimentation of streams from deforestation, disease, and historic misconceptions that led to unnecessary killing, despite the species being non-poisonous. Historically, hellbenders inhabited over 40 streams and rivers in West Virginia, and now, the species is only present in approximately a dozen streams or rivers, most of which occur within the federally protected lands.
Williams, an energy infrastructure company, has long supported the zoo’s program to raise and reintroduce hellbenders back into local streams and rivers. “We understand the importance of safeguarding biodiversity and protection of vulnerable species like the Eastern hellbender, which has been successfully reintroduced in West Virginia thanks to the important work of the Oglebay Good Zoo,” said Mark Gebbia, the company’s VP of Environmental, Regulatory and Permitting. “Hellbender populations are an indicator of clean streams and rivers. When hellbenders are healthy and thriving, so is the environment.”
The Oglebay Good Zoo has collaborated with the WVDNR on hellbender research for over two decades and made history in 2007 as the first zoo in the world to successfully hatch Eastern hellbender eggs in human care. This milestone continues to drive conservation efforts, ensuring the survival and resurgence of this unique species in its native habitat.
About Oglebay Good Zoo – It is the only institution in West Virginia that is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). The Good Zoo provides conservation education programming to over 13,000 students annually and participates in AZA breeding programs for over 20 rare or endangered species. The Good Zoo also collaborates with the West Virginia Division of Wildlife to conduct conservation research associated with the rare Eastern Hellbender Salamander and to rehabilitate nearly 50 ill or injured wild eagles, hawks, and owls in the Upper Ohio River Valley annually. Learn more at oglebay.com/good-zoo.
About Oglebay – Located in Wheeling, WV, Oglebay is a 2,000-acre public park, offering year-round recreational activities and overnight accommodations. Studied by planners worldwide as the only self-supporting public municipal park in operation in the United States, Oglebay stands as a successful tribute to Earl W. Oglebay, a notable achievement of the Wheeling Park Commission, and a credit to the many benefactors and organizations involved in its growth. Learn more at oglebay.com and follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.
