From the News: Hellbenders Reintroduced in New York

Hellbenders Reintroduced in New York

Earlier today, I posted a story about the new panda cub at National Zoo.  Congrats to them, etc. I also came across this story.  This is actually the one that excited me more.

Panda births are a rarity - not as rare as they once were, but still headline-grabbers.  A baby panda is a great PR coup for a zoo, one that gets its name out there, attracts attention, and provides a conversational opener for sharing information with the world.  All of this is important, don't get me wrong.  It's just that sometimes it seems that stories like these overwhelm stories of other important animal news.

The hellbender is a native American species, one that has vanished over much of its range.  Unlike the giant panda, a great deal of people live in its range.  That means that a great deal of people can have a direct impact on its survival.  A single giant panda cub is not going to make that much of a difference to the overall survival of the species.  The reintroduction of hellbenders into habitats where they have been extirpated can make a huge difference in stream ecology.  The plight of the panda is already well known to the world.  Hellbenders represent just one species effected by the global amphibian crisis, an issue which many people are still largely unaware.

None of this is to downplay the great news out of DC, of course.  I just wish that the media would pay attention to other, equally great news out of NY.