Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute

06/08/2026

Congratulations to graduate students Chloe Nouzille and Katie McDaniel, who recently captured this female mountain lion in Val Verde County as part of CKWRI's Texas Lion Project. Our team has captured 14 lions in Texas across Dimmit, Maverick, Webb, and Val Verde Counties. We are interested in lion distribution, lion numbers, and their overall status in the State of Texas.

06/05/2026

Earlier this week, the CKWRI Operations Team traveled from Kingsville to the San Antonio Zoo for a staff development day gaining a behind-the-scenes look at the operations, animal care, and conservation efforts that make the Zoo a world-class institution.

The Operations Team was truly treated like VIP's throughout the day and gained a greater appreciation for the extensive coordination, planning, and support required to operate a world-class zoological institution. Seeing the work that goes on behind the scenes provided valuable insight into the many teams and functions that contribute to the Zoo’s success.

A special thank you to Kelley King and the entire Development Team, including Blake Shockley and Jennifer Renaud, for their warm hospitality and for making the Teams visit such a memorable experience. They are also grateful to the many zoo keepers who welcomed them behind the scenes and shared insights into their important work. Your time, generosity, and commitment to wildlife is greatly appreciated!

06/05/2026

CKWRI's Dr. Mike Cherry recently co-authored a paper that appeared in Science magazine, and has been picked up by other publications including the New York Times and Yale News. Millions of animal movements were analyzed to evaluate how species adapt to changing space and environments.
New York Times article: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/21/science/anthropause-animals-pandemic.html?unlocked_article_code=1.kFA.glXq.oqpH6izTfIwq&smid=url-share
Yale News article: https://news.yale.edu/2026/05/21/wildlife-watching-us-too-and-changing-their-behavior-response
Science article: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adq3396

A Yale-led analysis of millions of animal movements reveals how the mere presence of people, not just landscape change, can reshape how species use space and environment, with implications for conservation efforts.

06/04/2026

Originally from Michigan, Makayla Dernberger obtained a degree in Wildlife Biology from Michigan State University in 2025. During her time at MSU, she developed a strong passion for research, conservation, and wildlife ecology. Her primary interests include deer biology, animal behavior, and understanding how environmental conditions influence wildlife populations and management decisions. Makayla is now pursuing her Master of Science at Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, where she is studying fawn ecology while also serving as Director of Operations for the Alkek Ungulate Research Facility. Through her experience at CKWRI, she hopes to continue developing her analytical and leadership skills while contributing meaningful research to the field of deer ecology and wildlife management.

06/01/2026

TAMUK Wildlife Photography collaborates with Rice University researchers on documenting age of archeological finds.

A research paper published in 2021 by Dr, Aaron Foley on aging of White-tail deer by studying the wear of molar teeth attracted the attention of Dr. Mary Pendergast, a Rice University (Houston) Professor of Anthropology.

Dr. Pendergast is an archeologist involved in the analysis of Texas archaeological sites, including the well-known, 18th century Gilbert Site, and is investigating the relationship of ancient peoples, wildlife and livestock. Archaeologists who study white tailed deer remains largely rely on a “Severinghaus” method of estimating age at death by the inspection of a cross section of incisor tooth roots to count growth rings similar to aging tree annual rings. The Rice team does not use this method since it is destructive, plus incisors tend to preserve less frequently on archaeological sites.

The team claims not to be very good at estimating age. However, as Dr. Foley and his team show in their publication, biologists were able to correctly place known-age deer into distinct age classes by measuring the wear of the first molar on known-age deer mandibles.

Based upon the Foley paper, Dr. Pendergast created a couple of ideas for Rice student projects collaborating with TAMUK that would entail photographing the TAMUK mandibles and individual teeth within them, to develop systems of wear recording more aligned with what archaeologists normally use.

As a result, the TAMUK Wildlife Photography team led by grad student Jessica Johnston assisted the Rice team of two undergrads along with Dr. Pendergast to photograph over 150 mandibles and the teeth. The TAMUK photography team supports research and teaching and is perfectly equipped to create specimen images using modern equipment and state-of-the-art techniques for true-to-life images in the lab and in the field.

The photo is a sample White-tail deer mandible showing the wear surfaces of the molars used in age determination studies. This image from the TAMUK Wildlife Photography team under the leadership of Brian Loflin.

05/28/2026

Spring is a great time to complete native seeding projects. TNS recently got the opportunity to partner with The Botanical Research Institute of Texas to install a research/demonstration project. This project will help TNS refine our knowledge of where individual native seed varieties perform the best, and demonstrate how native grassland restoration can be utilized within urban settings.

05/25/2026

Ali Mueller, an undergraduate student in the LEADING Program, is currently conducting research with Dr. Jen Smith to assess the effects of Guinea grass on the diet of Northern Bobwhite. This involves dissecting harvested quail generously donated by hunters and identifying contents of their crops. Once all birds have been processed, Ali will assess the relationship between crop contents and the amount of Guinea grass at sites where birds were harvested. Recently, Ali has the chance to present this exciting research at the Texas Chapter of The Wildlife Society in Galveston, Texas - way to go, Ali!

05/22/2026

Join us in Benavides, TX for a day focused on practical range and wildlife monitoring! 🌾🦌🐦

05/21/2026

In early March, CKWRI graduate students Austin Ibarra and Ashlyn Halseth-Ellis and faculty member Dr. Levi Heffelfinger completed the second year of captures for the Spatial Ecology of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Project. With help from , , , , , , & , they GPS-collared 37 white-tailed deer, 46 mule deer, 27 elk in the northwest Texas Panhandle, and 41 mule deer in the Hueco Mountains of west Texas. When combined with captures from 2025, the total number of animals captured and GPS-collared for this project is now 304! This movement data will be used to understand species interactions and monitor CWD spread in these areas.

05/19/2026

Join the Texas Wildlife Association, Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, & Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for the 20th South Texas Wildlife Conference taking place in Cotulla, Texas on Friday, August 28th, 2026. The year's event will focus on the intersection of wildlife and livestock management. Early registration pricing available through 7/31. $80 General Admission, $100 after 7/31, and $40 for students. Registration includes complimentary lunch along with access to a host of exhibitors. Online registration will close 8/14.

Don’t miss this rare opportunity to hear from university researchers, agency personnel, and wildlife managers about the latest developments in South Texas wildlife management. Sign up today at https://www.ckwri.tamuk.edu/south-texas-wildlife-conference