The Bronx Zoo Opens Eastern Hellbender Exhibit

Since 2009, staff at Wildlife Conservation Society's Bronx Zoo have been working behind the scenes to save the Eastern hellbender. Now, this elusive salamander can be seen in a new exhibit in the zoo's historic Reptile House beginning April 26, 2017. The Eastern hellbender is a large species of salamander native to freshwater rivers and streams in Eastern North America. New York State lists the hellbender as a species of Special Concern. Populations are declining due to several factors including over chytrid fungus, water pollution, and habitat destruction. Photo by Julie Larsen Maher/WCS/UPI