AUSTIN – During an event on March 19, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and East Foundation officially approved a Programmatic Safe Harbor Agreement to aid in the recovery and reintroduction of the secretive ocelot to south Texas.
AUSTIN — It is the time of year when people are outdoors enjoying warmer weather, beautiful flowers and emerging wildlife. As you spend time outdoors, you may start to notice more wildlife in your backyard, neighborhood or surrounding areas. Species including birds, deer and snakes are active this time of year and their young can be mistaken as abandoned.
AUSTIN — As spring weather transitions to summer and outdoor enthusiasts begin to flock to the coast, boaters will begin to see islands covered with large congregations of nesting birds. These islands, known as rookery islands, provide breeding homes (and nurseries) for thousands of iconic coastal birds such as brown pelicans, roseate spoonbills, black skimmers, reddish egrets and other species in Texas bays.
AUSTIN – The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) encourages Texans to take action against invasive species that negatively impact the state’s natural resources and economy. National Invasive Species Awareness Week (NISAW), scheduled for Feb. 26 – March 3, is an initiative to raise awareness of the threats and provide solutions on how to prevent the spread of invasive species.
AUSTIN — Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) biologists have reported a suspect-positive case of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in a 14-month-old captive male white-tailed deer at the Kerr Wildlife Management Area (WMA) research facility. The detection resulted from ante-mortem testing conducted on all captive white-tailed deer as part of ongoing research. Samples from the buck were sent to the National Veterinary Service Laboratory in Iowa for confirmation.
AUSTIN — With winter quickly approaching, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) encourages residents in the western, southwestern and northeastern portions of Texas to practice appropriate bear safety measures and report sightings.
AUSTIN —Texas quail hunting season opens Oct. 28, and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) surveys indicate an increased number of bobwhite and scaled quail in the field thanks to a combination of cooler temperatures and spring rainfall during the start of nesting season.
TERLINGUA— Campsites and many facilities at the Big Bend Ranch State Park Complex will be closed for the safety of park visitors during wildlife surveys Oct. 25 – 28. During the surveys, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Wildlife Biologists will be counting desert bighorn sheep by helicopter and performing the lethal removal of non-native aoudad (barbary sheep) when encountered.