Uploaded September 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
Known by many unique names ranging from lasagna lizard to mudpuppy, the eastern hellbender is the largest salamander in North and South America. Once found in at least eight different waterways throughout Indiana, this endangered amphibian can now be found only in the Blue River.
The Fort Wayne Zoo is proud to partner with Purdue University, Indiana DNR, and other organizations across the country in their efforts to protect and preserve Indiana eastern hellbender populations. In August, 2025, four Fort Wayne Zoo employees traveled 4 hours south to the Blue River, just outside Corydon, IN, to release 55 hellbenders hatched and raised at the Zoo into their native habitat.
Known by many unique names ranging from lasagna lizard to mudpuppy, the eastern hellbender is the largest salamander in North and South America. Once found in at least eight different waterways throughout Indiana, this endangered amphibian can now be found only in the Blue River.
The Fort Wayne Zoo is proud to partner with Purdue University, Indiana DNR, and other organizations across the country in their efforts to protect and preserve Indiana eastern hellbender populations. In August, 2025, four Fort Wayne Zoo employees traveled 4 hours south to the Blue River, just outside Corydon, IN, to release 55 hellbenders hatched and raised at the Zoo into their native habitat.
