O’Bannon Woods State Park has received two new Eastern hellbenders as part of its ongoing exhibit of North America’s largest salamander, one of its many live animal exhibits open for viewing. In cooperation with a larger regional program dedicated to the preservation and reintroduction of the species, the park’s Hickory Hollow Interpretive Center has an exhibit dedicated to preserving the species and teaching people about it. In Indiana, the hellbender is protected as an endangered species.

The new hellbenders were recently received from Columbian Park Zoo in Lafayette. They are 8 ½ years old and approximately 13 inches long.

“They are eating and adjusting to their new environment very well,” said Jarrett Manek, the state park’s interpretive naturalist. “As an indicator species for healthy water, this species is one worth learning more about.”

The previous two hellbenders exhibited at O’Bannon Woods were transferred as part of the cooperative regional restoration effort among the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Purdue University, and other zoos across the region who have helped reintroduce hundreds of young hellbenders into the Blue River in southern Indiana as well into other Midwest waterways. Metzger Park Zoo in Evansville and the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife each received one of the hellbenders last year as part of their respective breeding programs.

Hickory Hollow Interpretive Center is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information on the hellbenders and upcoming programs, call 812-738-8234 or see interpretiveservices.IN.gov.

O’Bannon Woods State Park (on.IN.gov/obannonwoodssp) is at 7234 Old Forest Road SW,  Corydon, 47112.

East Chicago Chinook project successful

The first year of a cooperative project between the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Lake County Fish and Game Protective Association (LCF&G) to improve Chinook salmon fishing in Lake Michigan successfully concluded in early May.

The project used a floating enclosure built by LCF&G to acclimate Chinook salmon stocked by the DNR at East Chicago Marina. The fish were stocked into the enclosure on April 22 and successfully released by LCF&G on May 4.

“We’re very pleased with the first year of this effort,” said DNR Lake Michigan fisheries research biologist Ben Dickinson. “Lake County members put in a lot of work and were excellent partners. We rely on stakeholder groups and anglers to assist us with management efforts, and when both DNR and stakeholders work together, the resource always benefits.”

Juvenile Chinook salmon, called smolts, spend several days acclimating to their new environment after being stocked before swimming to Lake Michigan. They feed for several years in the lake and then return to their stocking site as mature adults to spawn. The goals of the project are to protect the smolts from being eaten by birds and other fish in the first several days after stocking and help them imprint on the harbor so they can return as large, adult fish anglers can catch.

“This project perfectly aligns with the values and mission of our organization,” said LCF&G president John Dembowski. “We’re proud to have a direct impact on improving our world-class fishery for years to come and are excited about enhancing our working relationship with the DNR.”

Body recovered from Clay County lake

Indiana Conservation Officers are investigating after their divers recovered the body of a Terre Haute man from the water at Chinook Fish & Wildlife area (FWA).

Conservation Officers were dispatched to Chinook FWA at 8:30pm for a person going under the water and not resurfacing. At 9:47 p.m., using sonar, the body of Micah T. Harrison, 19, was recovered in 14 feet of water.

Harrison was pronounced dead on the scene by the Clay County coroner. The cause of death is pending autopsy results. Family notification has been made.

Conservation officers remind the public swimming on DNR-managed properties is only permitted in designated swimming areas.

Other assisting agencies included the Clay County Sheriff’s Department, Posey Fire Department, and Medic 9 Star Ambulance.

Readers can contact the author by writing to this publication or e-mail Jack at jackspaulding1971@outlook.com.

Spaulding’s books, “The Best Of Spaulding Outdoors” and “The Coon Hunter And The Kid,” are available from Amazon.com as a paperback or Kindle download.