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Ohio's Columbus Zoo and Aquarium and The Wilds released 116 giant salamanders, called hellbenders, into the state's waterways over the summer

The salamanders, listed as vulnerable by IUCN, are part of a decade-long project to improve the state's ecosystem

Over 2,000 hellbenders, nicknamed "snot otters," have been released through the project since 2012

Columbus Zoo and Aquarium and The Wilds in Powell, Ohio, released over 100 giant salamanders into Ohio's waterways over the summer to help restore the ecosystem of the state's freshwater habitats.

According to a press release obtained by PEOPLE, the elusive amphibians known as hellbenders (nicknamed "snot otters" due to their slimy protective coating) rely on clean, oxygen-rich streams to survive, making them an "indicator

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