WILDLIFE

About 6,000 bees were recently removed from inside the walls of an Omaha couple's 100-year-old home.

The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act would deliver nearly $1.5 billion annually to fund state-level wildlife plans intended to help vulnerable species.

A 5-year-old Texas boy was hospitalized after he was bit by a copperhead snake while doing yardwork earlier this month.

The use and sale of the AR-15 semiautomatic rifle have been in the public eye after the tragedy at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde late last month that left 21 people dead.

A 2-year-old boy who was attacked by a coyote on the porch of his Dallas home is recovering.

National Park Service officials say a wild horse who has become “extremely aggressive” with staff and visitors at Assateague Island National Seashore in Maryland has been relocated to a Texas wildlife sanctuary.

Police say a 2-year-old child has been hospitalized in critical condition after being mauled by a coyote on the front porch of the child's Dallas home.

Sheriff’s deputies captured video of a large alligator crawling through a front yard in Florida before making its way into a community lake.

A dolphin that was stranded on a Texas beach died after beachgoers tried to swim with it and ride it, according to the Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network.

A hungry javelina in Arizona ended up going for a drive when it became trapped inside a car.

A fungus that has killed millions of bats nationwide has been found in Louisiana but has not sickened any bats so far in the state.

The Texas coral snake is a little more distinct than any other venomous snake in the state, as it’s brightly colored with red, yellow and black bands and can be seen from several feet away.

A rabies-infected fox had contact with someone in Kerrville last week, making it the second rabies case this year in Kerr County.

The lizard’s fragility has been recognized since at least 1977, when the state officially classified horny toads as threatened. The growing sprawl of Texas cities wiped away large swaths of habitat.

If you have walked, run or ridden in some of the San Antonio city parks or trailheads recently, you may have noticed large beautiful sculptures depicting South Texas native flowers.

The wildlife stories are bigger in Texas, too.

Researchers are calling on the public to report monarch butterfly sightings in eight southern and Gulf states.

Two children in the Austin area are recovering from rattlesnake bites that happened at two separate parks within days of each other.

The spill gate failure on Aug. 3 at the hydroelectric dam in Lake Gonzales has people feeling the economic effects of the drained lake.

A large loggerhead sea turtle rehabilitated at the Florida Keys-based Turtle Hospital has a new home in Texas.

A spill gate failure on has put the future of Lake Gonzales and its wildlife in jeopardy.

An 11-year-old girl visiting the beach on South Padre Island was hospitalized from a suspected shark bite, according to city officials.

Over 25 alligator snapping turtles were released back into the East Texas wild after they were seized in an illegal trafficking attempt in 2016, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

Though it’s only July, the total number of Florida manatee deaths in 2021 has already reached a higher total than it did in all of 2020, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

A grizzly bear that pulled a California woman from her tent and killed her this week has been fatally shot in Montana.

Editor’s note: We have been told by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department that CWD is not commonly referred to as ‘Zombie Deer Disease’ despite multiple reports from other outlets. We have reached out to the CDC for further information as well and will update this story with further details.

Night critters are putting the new Robert L.B. Tobin Land Bridge to use just months after its completion.

As people are venturing outdoors for the summertime, the chances of coming across a snake are more likely, especially in Texas.

Texas Parks and Wildlife’s community archery program wants to help all Texans learn the different skills necessary to becoming a successful bowhunter.

State Parks and Wildlife officials said it was released earlier this month and they just shared this video.

A South Texas fisherman landed a whopper 876-pound bluefin tuna last month about 150 miles off the coast of Port Aransas, breaking a nearly 40-year state record.

A Texas man who had been free on bond from a murder charge has been arrested after neighbors found a pet tiger wandering around a Houston neighborhood.

A tiger prowled a Houston-area neighborhood Sunday evening before it was held at gunpoint by Waller County deputy and carted away by its alleged owner, according to media reports.

A 39-year-old woman was found dead in southwestern Colorado after an apparent bear attack, Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials said. The female bear and two yearling cubs were euthanized.

Some days, Houston area traffic can be a nightmare. Other days, it can be a zoo, literally.

Many human-animal encounters are unnecessary and can even be detrimental to the wildlife.

Thousands of Atlantic green sea turtles and Kemp's ridley sea turtles suffering from cold stun are laid out to recover Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021 at the South Padre Island Convention Center on South Padre Island, Texas. It's been the largest cold-stunning event for sea turtles recorded in the U.S. since the network was established in 1980. AdWhen water temperatures drop below about 50 degrees (10 degrees Celsius), sea turtles become lethargic and are unable to swim. Some of the cold-stunned sea turtles had other problems as well, including hook infections and injuries from boats, Knight said. Almost all of the rescued sea turtles were green turtles, Schroeder said.

The $12 million Great Red Snapper Count estimated that the Gulf holds about 110 million adult red snapper -- those at least 2 years old. More than 60% of the red snapper were in areas that previously had not been checked, according to the study by 20 scientists from 14 universities and NOAA. The report estimated that about 48 million adult red snapper swim off Florida, 29 million off Louisiana, 23 million off Texas and 10 million off Mississippi and Alabama. He noted that the red snapper count received twice as much funding as all of the studies he oversees at the Southeast Fisheries Science Center. Congress voted for the study in 2016, as red snapper recreational seasons got shorter and shorter while anglers kept seeing more and bigger fish.

SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Zoo has a new big cat to introduce to the Alamo City. Jeda, a 3-year-old, 260-pound tiger, will soon enjoy his new surrounding at the Big Cat Valley, zoo officials said in a news release on Tuesday. Jeda, a 3-year-old, 260-pound tiger, has joined the San Antonio Zoo. (Courtesy, San Antonio Zoo)Jeda, a 3-year-old, 260-pound tiger, has joined the San Antonio Zoo. (Courtesy, San Antonio Zoo)Read also:

SAN ANTONIO – You’re invited to a baby shower — for opossums, raccoons and other wildlife. San Antonio’s Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation will hold its Drive-Through Baby Shower for Wildlife from noon-3 p.m. on Saturday. The organization is hosting the drive as it prepares for an influx of orphaned animals during the “wildlife baby season,” officials said. WRR officials said it is the busiest time of the year, as they care for more than 8,000 baby opossums, squirrels, songbirds, raccoons, and other animals. “Every animal who is brought to Wildlife Rescue receives round-the-clock specialized care and this is particularly true for fragile orphans,” officials said in a news release.

– A small parade of rescued young sea turtles has headed into the Gulf of Mexico from Louisiana — a bright note in a tough season for sea turtles. Sea turtles get cold-stunned and lethargic when the water around them chills down so fast they can’t swim to warmer waters. Those released this week at Grand Isle were Kemp's ridley sea turtles, like most of those injured in New England, where volunteers rescued 775 turtles, said Kate Sampson, regional sea turtle stranding coordinator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The Texas turtles were likely in relatively good shape because the cold came on so quickly, she said. AdSo many green and Kemp’s ridley sea turtles were found off Texas in February that the South Padre Island Convention Center was used as an emergency sea turtle hospital.

Fish & Wildlife are investigating the recent cases involving big cats seized and spotted in Bexar County-area neighborhoods this month. The big cats taken by authorities were not in good health, said Tim Morrow, president and CEO of the San Antonio Zoo. That’s not normal.”AdThe animals will be cared for by the San Antonio Zoo until they are sent to an animal sanctuary, Morrow said. A month ago, a tiger cub was also taken from a home in southwest Bexar County. If enacted, the bill would make it illegal to own tiger petting facilities and exotic big cats.

It was evident that Winter Storm Uri took a toll on South Texas plants. “They flock down here to be able to see the birds that we have to offer here in Texas,” Brown said. Brown said to make sure to clean out hummingbird feeders every two to three days. Bird droppings and other contaminants around and on feeders can spread infectious bird diseases. “The key is to keep the feeders clean, keep the area around the feeders clean, and fully shut down feeding if dead or sick birds are found at the feeder,” said TPWD Ornithologist Cliff Shackelford.

SAN ANTONIO – The winter freeze killed nearly 4 million fish along the Texas coast in what officials are calling the largest fish kill event since the 1980s. The Upper and Lower Laguna Madre bays which are off the South Texas Coast were hit particularly hard, according to TPWD. The estimated 3.8 million fish killed in Texas consisted of 61 species, with 91% of those include non-recreational fish like hardhead catfish and pinfish. Just before the freeze, TPWD closed fishing on the Texas coast that could have further impacted wildlife. Other wildlife species impacted by the storm include axis deer, blackbuck, nilgai antelope and multiple bird species, according to TPWD.

The Environmental Sciences Department is continuing to monitor the sightings, and officials said the dead fish are not caused by poor water quality. Anyone who spots dead fish along the river is asked to contact the River Authority’s Environmental Investigations team online or by calling 866-345-7272. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department said fish on the Texas coast first started dying off on Feb. 14. Among the fish species impacted were spotted seatrout, red drum, sheepshead, grey snapper, snook, black drum and tarpon. Other wildlife species impacted by the storm include axis deer, blackbuck, nilgai antelope and multiple bird species, according to TPWD.

SAN ANTONIO – As the state was crippled by subfreezing temperatures, millions of people were left with out power, water and food for days. Hundreds of Mexican Free-tailed Bats were discovered dead under San Antonio bridges and underpasses. Camara said the Loop 410 and San Pedro underpass is home to one of the city’s largest colony of bats. Some bats froze to death and others died from impact injuries sustained after falling from 40 to 50-foot high bridges. Head injuries, back injuries, internal injuries.

The federal government is offering up to $1,000 for the adoption of a wild horse or burro that once roamed public lands out West. The incentive will be offered for every animal at the adoption event in an effort to “to find every horse and burro a good home,” the department said in a news release. Horses and burros range in age from yearling to adult. Corral fence requirements include 6 feet for adult horses, 4 feet for yearlings and 4 1/2 feet for burros. AdMore than 240,000 wild burros and horses have been removed by the BLM and placed in homes since 1973.

LIPAN, Texas – A final autopsy for a Texas man whose body was found last month in the woods determined that he died from neck injuries due to an animal attack, but wildlife experts and sheriff’s officials disagree on whether that animal was a mountain lion. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled that 28-year-old Christopher Allen Whiteley’s cause of death last month was from neck injuries due to an animal attack, the Hood County sheriff’s office said Tuesday. Lt. Johnny Rose of the Hood County sheriff's office said they believe Whiteley was killed by a mountain lion. He said the autopsy does not specify what kind of animal killed Whitely. Texas wildlife officials have said that fatal mountain attacks on people are extremely rare, as are any confirmed sightings of the animals in North Texas.

This month starts the 35th season of the Toyota Sharelunker Program, which is a coordination effort with Texas Parks and Wildlife to increase the production of trophy-sized fish in Texas reservoirs. The year-long program offers four levels of participation for catching bass over 8 pounds or 24 inches in Texas. During the first three months of the year, anglers who reel in a 13 pound bass or larger can loan it to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for the Sharelunker selective breeding and stocking program. Once a lunker is reeled in, anglers need to enter the catch data on the Toyota Sharelunker mobile app. For more information on this program or to report a fish, anglers can call the Sharelunker hotline at (903) 681-0550 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Jean-Michel Arrigona, 58, and his company Natur, Inc. in Midvale, Utah, sell wildlife in the forms of art, taxidermy mounts, bones, and skeletons. The indictment alleges that Arrigona imported wildlife into the United States without declaring it to U.S. The Lacey Act is the nation’s oldest wildlife trafficking statute and prohibits, among other things, selling wildlife that had been illegally brought into the country. The Endangered Species Act and federal regulations require importers to declare wildlife when it enters the country. The operation focused on the trafficking of wildlife from Indonesia to the United States.

San Antonio The San Antonio Zoo isnt just a place to go to see animals; behind the scenes, zoo workers are doing research that could potentially save at-risk or endangered species across the world. Courtesy: San Antonio Zoo (San Antonio Zoo)Reticulated Flatwoods Salamanders: This species is critically endangered and usually habitats a handful of locations in the southeastern United States. Reticulated Flatwoods Salamander Courtesy: San Antonio Zoo (San Antonio Zoo)Texas Blind Salamanders: This is an endangered species that inhabit the Edwards Aquifer. Texas Blind Salamanders Courtesy: San Antonio Zoo (San Antonio Zoo)Texas Horned Lizards: This project has had a successful year after two batches of Texas Horned Lizards hatched. Texas Horned Lizards Courtesy: San Antonio Zoo (San Antonio Zoo)The other species that the Center for Conservation and Research is trying to breed include Mexican Blind Catfish, Ozark Cavefish, endangered Texas Spring Salamanders and the endangered Chilean frog.