Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams signed a bill Monday that makes the eastern hellbender the state amphibian.
Adams joined Senate Bill 37’s sponsor, Sen. Robin Webb of Grayson, and other state officials at the Salato Wildlife Education Center in Frankfort.
The eastern hellbender is threatened by climate change and surface mining. Dan Maloney, director of the Louisville Zoo, says the zoo is involved in an effort to protect them.
“We are proud to be part of the Coalition to Save the Hellbender,” he said. We've partnered with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources and other regional zoos. We created an entire new room for just the hellbenders.”
Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Rich Storm says the state is working with the Louisville Zoo.
“So we're doing surveys and monitoring, and along with the Louisville Zoo, we've raised over 300 hellbenders thus far,” he said, “and these animals will be released into the wild to help the native population.”
Webb’s bill also recognizes the eastern spotted skunk as the state’s nongame mammal and the Treeing Walker Coonhound as the state’s dog breed.
“We had a budget year,” Webb said. “I worked many hours on that, but I've worked on this bill for several years now, and it just means a lot to me personally. I wanted to get it done before I retired or died.”
