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The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden has taken another important step in its long-running effort to restore the American burying beetle to Ohio, releasing 312 beetles at Greenacres in Indian Hill late last month as part of a collaborative conservation project designed to establish a self-sustaining population of the rare insect.

The release included 156 carefully selected breeding pairs of American burying beetles that were raised at the Cincinnati Zoo. The federally threatened and state-endangered species once ranged widely across much of eastern North America but has disappeared from large portions of its historic range, including Ohio.

“This is the first release that we’ve done at Greenacres,” said Mandy Pritchard, team leader in the Cincinnati Zoo’s World of the Insect. “It’s not the first release we’ve done in Ohio or the first release the Zoo has ever done, but we are very excited about this site. The soil is fantastic out here, and we think the beetles stand the best chance they ever have at this location.”

A site check on July 2 confirmed that the beetles did what the team hoped they would do. They found 372 larvae in the crypts.

Greenacres became involved in the project after Pritchard reached out in 2024 to explore the possibility of adding a new Ohio release site. Site evaluation in 2025 revealed that Greenacres’ Old Church education site offered promising habitat, strong partnership potential, and the kind of soil conditions that could give the beetles an excellent chance to reproduce successfully.

American burying beetles are sometimes called nature’s undertakers because of the unusual and important role they play in the ecosystem. A male and female beetle locate a small animal carcass, bury it underground, and use it as a nursery and food source for their young. In doing so, the beetles help recycle nutrients back into the soil and support a healthy natural decomposition process.

During the Greenacres release, conservation staff dug holes about a foot deep, created small side chambers, and placed each beetle pair with a rat carcass underground. The area was then covered with soil and protected with fencing to reduce disturbance from scavengers.

The Cincinnati Zoo has been working for years with partners to breed and reintroduce American burying beetles in Ohio. The species historically occurred across 35 states and three Canadian provinces, but populations declined dramatically during the 20th century because of factors such as habitat loss, changes in food availability, and increased scavenger competition.

Monitoring at Greenacres will begin later this summer. Staff will look for adult beetles in the release area and check whether any unmarked beetles are present. Marked beetles indicate individuals released by the Zoo, while unmarked beetles could signal that the first generation was produced on site — an encouraging sign for the project’s long-term success.

“If they catch one that’s marked, we know it’s one we put out here,” Pritchard said. “If they catch one that’s not marked, then we know that’s one that was produced out here, which is really exciting.”

The Greenacres release is expected to continue as part of a multi-year effort. Data collected from the site will be shared with the Zoo and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to help guide future conservation decisions.

About the American Burying Beetle

The American burying beetle is North America’s largest carrion beetle and is recognized by its shiny black body and distinctive orange markings. The species plays a valuable role in healthy ecosystems by burying small carcasses, reducing competition from scavengers, and returning nutrients to the soil.