(WJW) — A giant salamander rescued from an Ohio construction zone has been released back into the wild.
But, the slippery critter isn’t just any amphibian — it’s an Eastern Hellbender.
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In a post to Facebook, the Ohio Division of Wildlife gave a shoutout to the “HEROES at ODOT” who were photographed releasing the salamander.
The post goes on to explain that in August the hellbender was discovered by crews working on a retaining wall project in Belmont County. Officials said the hellbender was rescued and relocated to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium until it could be returned to its home.
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Eastern Hellbenders are Ohio’s largest amphibian and can grow up to 27″ long. It’s not clear the size of this specific hellbender, but as you can see in the picture it nearly as long as the cooler that was being hauled by two men.
As FOX 8 News has previously reported, Eastern Hellbenders are known to be an “indicator species” and their presence is a sign of a healthy environment. And although they may look a bit scary — don’t worry — experts say they’re quite harmless…