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Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute

Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute

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Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute

The Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute at Texas A&M University-Kingsville is the leading wildlife research organization in Texas and one of the finest in the nation. Established in 1981 by a grant from the Caesar Kleberg Foundation for Wildlife Conservation, the Institute operates as a nonprofit organization and depends financially upon private contributions and faculty grantsmanship. Our mission is to provide science-based information for enhancing the conservation and management of wildlife in South Texas and related environments.

As C.L. Douglas described in Cattle Kings of Texas (1989), South Texas is “…a land of mesquite and sand; of prickly pear and chaparral; of clouds and sea and sky; of vaqueros and cattle.” We might add it is also the land of 625 species, including 34 amphibians, 409 birds, 80 mammals and 102 reptiles. Nearly seventy percent of all vertebrates in Texas occur in South Texas. In fact, the South Texas brush country and the near pristine Laguna Madre contain the last great wildlife habitat remaining in Texas.

The faculty and students of the Institute have long-standing, trusted relationships with private landowners on whose land they conduct research. An abiding respect for private landowners and the work they have done to protect wildlife and habitat is the hallmark of the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute. In fact, the Institute works with hunters, wildlife managers, conservationists and policy makers alike to provide scientific research that is used to manage and conserve game and non-game species.

The Institute includes 25 outstanding research scientists, covering a wide range of specialties. The diverse faculty facilitate the often complex wildlife-related research studies and keep the Institute on the cutting edge in advancing conservation and management of wildlife. Modern high-tech facilities, specially designed wildlife study pens, and rangeland tracts provide an ideal environment for conducting quality research by Institute faculty.

The Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute is located on the campus of Texas A&M University- Kingsville and functions as a unit within the Dick and Mary Lewis Kleberg College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Human Sciences.

Institute scientists focus on several broad areas of research:

Wildlife Biology, Ecology, and Management

  • Deer Research Program
  • Richard M. Kleberg, Jr. Center for Quail Research
  • Feline Research Program
  • Waterfowl and Wetland Birds Research Program
  • Wildlife Education & Outreach
  • Molecular Genetics
  • Wildlife Diseases, Parasitology and Toxicology

Habitat Management, Restoration & Research

  • Fire Ecology
  • Landscape Ecology 
  • Livestock Wildlife Relationships

South Texas Natives and Texas Native Seeds

  • South Texas Natives
  • Texas Native Seeds


Contact Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute

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Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute is not employed by or affiliated with the Land Conservation Assistance Network, and the Network does not certify or guarantee their services. The reader must perform their own due diligence and use their own judgment in the selection of any professional.


Contact Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute


700 University Blvd
Texas A&M University-Kingsville, MSC 218
Kingsville, Texas  78363
Phone: (361) 593-3922


 

Service Area

Statewide service provider in:
  • Texas


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1 Introductory article was found for Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute

South Texas, the "Last Great Habitat"

By:

Concerns about conservation of the tropical rainforests and other well-known regions of the world are widely publicized, yet a region of inestimable biological wealth lies relatively unrecognized on the back doorstep of North America. The region lying south of a line from Port O’Connor to Victoria, northwest to San Antonio and west to Del Rio known as “South Texas” is one of the most biologically diverse regions in the world (Fig. ). In fact, it is termed “hyper-diverse” by many ecologists. We feel that conservation of this biological treasure is of urgent concern to policy makers, nature enthusiasts, and the general public throughout the region and nation.

Because virtually all land in South Texas is privately owned, incentives are needed that enable landowners to retain ownership and keep the habitat in an unfragmented condition. These incentives might include conservation easements and tax breaks for wildlife conservation or business ventures focused on outdoor recreation.