Researchers to track black bear and mountain lion movement across the U.S.-Mexico border

On November 13th, the Borderlands Research Institute at Sul Ross State University announced a multi-agency effort to track black bear and mountain lion movements across the U.S.-Mexico border in Southwest Texas.

The Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute at A&M Kingsville and the Borderlands Research Institute at Sul Ross State University in Alpine, Texas will be partnering with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). 

As part of USFWS’s efforts to understand the effects of a border barrier on wildlife migration, the Borderlands Research Institute, studying black bears, and the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, studying mountain lions, will lead the efforts to gather accurate movement data. Texas Parks and Wildlife biologists and volunteer landowners will aid the researchers in trapping and collaring the animals and providing scat and hair samples. 

According to the press release, the objectives of this project are to assemble a peer-reviewed literature review on the impact of barriers on wildlife movement, offer mitigation strategies to government agencies, facilitate black bear and mountain lion population recovery through these mitigation strategies, and to provide USFWS with a project summary.