The Toledo Zoo’s Sturgeon Fest has been put on since 2018, and it gets the Toledo community involved in sturgeon conservation efforts in Lake Erie. It is being featured on Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild, a popular docuseries that airs nationally.
The host of the television show, Peter Gros, said that the Sturgeon Fest is very unique. He said that the accomplishments and efforts being made to conserve sturgeon match the show’s theme, connecting conservation with community.
“You think this is a pretty large, bottom-feeding, prehistoric fish until you see one up close, you don’t really connect that much,” Gros said. “These are wildlife that can’t be seen, [therefore] it’s hard to connect with and this have a concern for them.”
Local partners in sturgeon conservation have released 3,000 fish every year. Dr. Matt Cross, the director of river conservation for The Toledo Zoo, said that they saw almost immediate results from their efforts.
“Within a year of releasing the fish, anglers out in Lake Erie were catching them, and they grow up to 2 to 3 times their release size within one year,” Dr. Cross said.
Sturgeon is an indicator species. This means that their presence in Lake Erie indicates a healthy ecosystem.
To learn more about Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild and how you can watch the feature episode, head to their website. Those with The Toledo Zoo tell 13 Action News that this year’s Sturgeon Fest is scheduled for October 11th.
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This article was published by WTVG on 2025-01-20 19:09:00
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