CWD Detected at Kerr Deer Research Center

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.

Out of an abundance of caution, TPWD staff euthanized all deer in the research facility and collected post-mortem samples, which resulted in no additional detections. TPWD will continue monitoring for CWD throughout the research facility and the WMA.

“TPWD staff are disappointed to abruptly end nearly 50 years of white-tailed deer research that has significantly influenced deer management in Texas and across the country” said John Silovsky, Wildlife Division Director. “Staff will continue to investigate opportunities to enhance the understanding of this insidious disease in both captive environments and free-ranging populations.”

Built in 1974, the high-fenced research facility offers researchers facilities to study white-tailed deer in a controlled setting.  The 23-acre facility now is double high fenced and consists of breeding and rearing enclosures, and a series of other structures that facilitate the safe handling of research animals.

The initial stock of deer in the research facility consisted of native Texas whitetails from various locations throughout the state.  TPWD did not routinely move deer into or out of the facility after that initial stocking.

The research herd has been maintained as a pedigreed herd investigating nutritional, age and genetic relationships in deer.  Research programs in the facility have supported wild deer herd management activities, outreach programs, trainings and the development of antler regulations across the state.

The Kerr WMA has conducted CWD surveillance of its wild and captive deer herds since 2002. Surveillance efforts within the research facility totaled 242 regulatory tests since 2018. Wild deer harvested on the WMA through the public hunting program and field research since 2018 have provided an additional 259 regulatory tests with no detections.

TPWD has intensified its investigations within the facility for the presence of CWD prions since May 8, when the agency received conflicting results —from a presumptive positive RT-QuIC amplification test and not-detected regulatory tests— on a female deer euthanized in January of this year.  Assessments within the facility this summer included surveillance with swabs of equipment, water and feed sites paired with targeted euthanasia and tissue testing.  Subsequent amplification and regulatory tests confirmed not-detected results on the 66 deer postmortem tested, as part of the investigation. Remaining individuals in the facility were screened with ante-mortem tonsil and rectal biopsies in October resulting in the positive detection from a tonsil biopsy on the 14-month-old male.

CWD is a fatal neurological disease found in certain cervids including deer, elk, moose and other members of the deer family. This slow, progressive disease may not produce visible signs in susceptible species for several years after infection.

TF&G Staff Report

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Texans Encouraged to Practice Bear Safety

AS WINTER HAS ARRIVED, Texas residents in the western, southwestern and northeastern portions of Texas to practice appropriate bear safety measures and report sightings.

Black bears are native to Texas and part of the state’s natural heritage and ecosystem. Guided by an excellent sense of smell, their behavior is driven largely by appetite. Fall provides their last opportunity to feast before denning up for the winter.

The natural instincts to forage become a problem for bears when they find easy meals from humans, such as garbage, pet food or corn from a deer feeder. If a bear continually finds food around humans, it can become habituated, losing its fear of people and creating a potentially dangerous situation.

Individuals enjoying the outdoors are encouraged to stay alert and stay together, keep dogs leashed, double bag food and trash while hiking or camping, camp safely and know what to do if you see a bear.

Bear-proof garbage containers are a great option that many communities have deployed to reduce bear encounters. TPWD biologists encourage keeping trash bags in a secure location until the morning of trash pickup and feeding pets inside or limiting pet-food portions to an amount that can be consumed completely at each feeding.

More information can be found on the TPWD and Bear Wise websites, including how to secure deer feeders or apiaries with electric fences and the how to use “unwelcome mats.” Unwelcome mats, made from rough wood and nails or brads, can be placed under windows, at doors and fence openings and around outdoor freezers and refrigerators to discourage bears without causing serious injury.

Bears are a non-game animal that have been granted state protected status as a threatened species, so it is against the law to hunt, harass or kill them.

If you see a bear, stay away and do not attempt to feed it, and notify your local police or sheriff dispatch immediately to request the local TPWD biologist or game warden.

 

TF&G Staff Report

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Unusual Cat Sightings Reported Around Texas

TEXAS HAS A RICH natural history of wild felines.

Bobcats, cougars (mountain lion), jaguars, jaguarundi and ocelots are all native to the state.

Jaguars haven’t been verified in many years and jaguarundis are a controversial topic with no verified sightings in a couple of decades.

Reports of cats where they’re not supposed to be in Texas are prevalent.

There are also reports of cats of unusual size and color.

Examples are cougars in East Texas and a report of a white cougar. Before you laugh, there have been verified white cougars in Brazil recently, born in a zoo in Belgium and see repeatedly near Red Rocks in Colorado. There are however no verified case of black cougars.

Some bobcats have long tails.

They can also be black in rare occasions.

Have you ever seen a cat in the wild you can’t explain? Do you have videos or photo from trail cameras or maybe your cell phone of cats that don’t quite fit the mold of their supposed range, size or color? I am working on cataloging as many of these as I can.

You can send photos and videos to cmoore@fishgame.com.

I can help you identify mystery cats and you can help me catalog interesting wild and feral feline information in Texas.

story by CHESTER MOORE

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Email us at ContactUs@fishgame.com

 

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