New Tech Keeps Old Species Thriving at Chattanooga Zoo
CHATTANOOGA, TN –
This weeks Tech Byte takes us behind the scenes at the Chattanooga Zoo into the bio secure area of the Hellbender Headstart Program. Most often we enjoy zoos and aquariums without taking the time to think of how do these animals survive here in the south where we might have four seasons in one day. This is a very clean environment and even our camera crew had to wear clean robes so as not to disturb the wildlife.
According to Zoo Keeper Will Ternes “We started the Hellbender head start program in early 2020. As kind of a project to help rehabilitate certain populations of hellbenders here in eastern Tennessee. Now, the eastern hellbender is a giant aquatic salamander that is very sensitive to every pollutant you could imagine. And also things like erosion, habitat fragmentation, they’re the most sensitive species.”
But the Tech behind the scenes is what keeps them thriving. “First and foremost, they live in ice cold streams,” says Ternes. “We have big chillers under, in these tank systems that are basically keeping the water at maybe about 70 degrees right now, but we kind of cycle it in with respect to what’s happening in the creeks out in East Tennessee as well.”
Why the effort on these tiny little salamanders? According to Will, they’re essential to various eco systems. “They are an essential species. And these creek systems in Appalachia, it’s kind of a one of a kind, unique species,” says Ternes. “They’re definitely a living fossil. You know, you don’t see hellbenders this big very much except for the Japanese and Chinese giant salamanders. They play an important role, kind of, balancing out the, kind of very delicate food webs that are in these creeks and the, like, kind of deep forested National forests out here in Appalachia.”
Unfortunately you can’t visit this exhibit on a regular Zoo tour but you can see a live feed into the room on your regular zoo tour, and you can learn more about them and all their exhibits at chattzoo.org.
