BLUE RIVER WATERSHED – A significant milestone in amphibian conservation was reached this summer as Purdue University, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and conservation partners released 170 hellbenders into the Blue River.
The effort, spanning July and August 2025, brings the total number of captive-raised hellbenders released into the Blue River since the program’s inception in 2017 to 979 individuals. The eastern hellbender—North America’s largest salamander and a critical indicator of clean water—is endangered in Indiana, with the Blue River watershed serving as the species’ last stronghold in the state.
The summer release is part of a meticulous “head-starting” program designed to give the juvenile hellbenders a fighting chance. Typically, hellbenders are held in captivity until they reach approximately 4.5 years of age to ensure they are large enough to avoid most predatory fish upon release.
However, a subset of hellbenders raised at the Fort Wayne Zoo showed exceptional growth, reaching an ideal size at just 2.5 years old. This presented a unique research opportunity for Purdue scientists…