Chattanooga Zoo Releases Hellbender Salamanders in Cherokee National Forest - May 2024

The Chattanooga Zoo's Hellbender Headstart program is helping repopulate an important local salamander species in Southeast Tennessee. This rapidly disappearing species is vital to local ecosystems and is known as an "indicator species" - meaning that the health of the hellbender population is usually reflective of water quality and overall environmental health.
With this release, occurring in May 2024, the Zoo has released a total of 61 hellbender salamanders back into the wild. The Zoo is excited for many more releases in the future!
For more information, check out this blog: www.chattzoo.o...
The Zoo is thankful for the following program supporters, collaborators, and participants:
U.S. Forest Service
Lee University
TWRA
Tennessee American Water
The Lyndhurst Foundation
The Riverview Foundation
Dr. Mickey and Beth Myers

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Great video! Would love regular updates on this project!