AUSTIN- With more people enjoying the outdoors and working from home this April, you may start to notice more wildlife in your backyard, neighborhood or surrounding area. Species including birds, deer and snakes are active this time of year and their young often stray or appear to be abandoned. But wildlife experts caution against lending a helping hand.
AUSTIN – For the first time, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) biologists have confirmed the disease white-nose syndrome (WNS) in a Texas bat. Up until this point, while the fungus that causes the disease was previously detected in Texas in 2017, there were no signs of the disease it can cause. WNS has killed millions of hibernating bats in the eastern parts of the United States, raising national concern.
AUSTIN – Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) has been discovered in a 5 ½-year-old white-tailed deer in a Kimble County deer breeding facility, marking the first positive detection of the disease in the county.
AUSTIN– The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) is seeking public input on the draft proposed rules for the Texas cultivated oyster mariculture program.
AUSTIN – With the first sightings of iconic, endangered whooping cranes along the Texas coast, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is reminding Texans to be on the lookout for these impressive birds as they move through the state.
AUSTIN – With quail hunting season opening Saturday, Oct. 26 statewide, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department wildlife biologists predict average to above-average prospects across most of the state.
ABILENE — Quail enthusiasts, get ready for the return of the Texas Statewide Quail Symposium Aug. 14-16. This semi-annual conference brings together quail experts from across the state and beyond to discuss current topics of interest in quail conservation and management.
Fish and wildlife populations are under increasing pressure from habitat loss, invasive species, emerging diseases, and extreme weather events in Texas and throughout the country. As many as one-third of our nation’s species are on the brink of becoming threatened or endangered. A bill just introduced in Congress seeks to reverse this trend.
On June 1, researchers put leg bands on fuzzy Aplomado falcon chicks at Mustang Island State Park, where a pair of adult falcons occupy one of 67 artificial nest structures maintained along the Texas coast. A few days later, on June 5, scientists banded the 500th Aplomado falcon in Texas. It’s all part of ongoing monitoring to maintain the success of a wildlife restoration effort begun decades ago.
AUSTIN – With spring approaching, iconic coastal birds like brown pelicans, roseate spoonbills, black skimmers, and reddish egrets are starting to build nests, lay eggs, and raise their young in colonies on small, inshore islands along the Gulf Coast of Texas. The nesting islands, or rookeries, often support thousands of birds that utilize all available island habitat. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is cautioning Texas boaters and anglers to watch out for nesting birds, which are particularly sensitive to manmade disturbances.