How Did An Eel Get Into The Chicago River?

About this episode

The episode explores the rare catch of an American eel in the Chicago River and its implications for the local ecosystem.

Last week, Ben Gorashchenko looked down into the Chicago River at the long, twisting, wriggling creature he just reeled in. Gorashchenko was pulling in an American eel — an extremely rare find in the Chicago River. Researchers told Block Club that, to their knowledge, there is just one other known instance of someone catching an American eel in the Chicago River in recent years, when a child caught one in 2017. This catch also presents bigger mysteries — like what finding an eel in Chicago can tell us about the local ecosystem and how exactly this animal found its way to River North.

People in this episode

Guest: Ben Gorashchenko

Topics covered

• ecosystem
• wildlife
• Chicago River
• American eel
• environmental mysteries

Keywords

• American eel
• Chicago River
• ecosystem
• wildlife
• environment

Mentioned in this episode

Products: American eel

Places: Chicago River, River North

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