RAISING HELLBENDERS CLIP

Updated on November 27, 2023

Did you know Missouri’s Ozark region is home to a prehistoric species? In this episode of Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild, Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant and Peter Gros learn all about the Ozark hellbender.

Peter and Dr. Rae head to St. Louis to meet up with conservationists trying to help save a local indicator species that is in dire need: the Ozark hellbender. Once thought to be venomous predators, these solitary salamanders can be nearly impossible to find in the wild, despite growing up to two feet long. Peter paddles through the Ozarks searching for hellbenders with a local expert, then Dr. Rae visits the Saint Louis Zoo to meet the scientists who are breeding hellbenders with the hopes of saving the species. They all team up in the end to release more than 100 captive bred hellbenders into the Ozarks.

Get an inside look at the episode, “Raising Hellbenders.” And see the hellbenders in action, Saturday morning during NBC’s “The More You Know” programming block. View your local airtimes.

Can’t make it? Watch episodes free on NBC.com.