BRI research technicians Matt Hewitt and Nicole Dickan, along with TPWD mammalogist Dana Karelus and TPWD wildlife diversity biologist Krysta Demere place a bear trap near Terlingua.

A comprehensive multiyear study on black bears is underway in Far West Texas. The study will follow an initial 30 collared bears over a period of two to five years from locations surrounding Big Bend National Park, north to the Davis Mountains, and east to the Devils River corridor.

It is a timely study as West Texas has seen an uptick in bear populations with residents reporting increased sightings, including of bears that rummage through dumpsters or otherwise seek out human sources of food.

Black bears were once found throughout West Texas, but their numbers dwindled during the middle of the 20^th century. Bears began returning to Big Bend National Park in the 1980s, and their population has rebounded as black bears from northern Mexico have expanded their territory into Texas.

The project, Understanding Natural Recolonization of Black Bears in West Texas, is led by the Borderlands Research Institute (BRI) at Sul Ross State University. Initial funding has been provided by Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, with additional grants from the Horizon Foundation, West Texas Chapter of Safari Club International, Coypu Foundation, and the James A. “Buddy” Davidson Charitable Foundation.

“There is a growing need for current information about this charismatic species, and the return of black bears to Texas is giving us a second chance,” said Dr. Louis A. Harveson, who is the Dan Allen Hughes, Jr., Endowed Director of BRI. “We look forward to working with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, area landowners and residents, and our many partners to learn more about black bears in West Texas.”

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Area residents at a black bear workshop hosted by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in Terlingua.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) is taking the lead on outreach to the community about black bears in West Texas. To that end, TPWD hosted two community workshops in late January, called Living with Black Bear in West Texas. The workshops were held in Terlingua and Study Butte. BRI researchers and communications staff attended the workshops, and a detailed blog was posted on BRI’s website.

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A big welcome to Bill Adams and Dr. Maureen Frank, who joined the BRI team this January.

BRI has expanded its team with the addition of two new hires in January 2023.

Bill Adams has come aboard as Associate Director of Operations, a new role designed to provide support to the growing organization. Dr. Maureen G. Frank also joined the team in January as the James A. “Buddy” Davidson Foundation Endowed Professor and Associate Professor of Conservation Biology.

Frank brings new breadth to BRI’s bird conservation program. She first came to Texas for her undergraduate degree and graduated with a B.S. in Wildlife Ecology from Texas A&M University in 2012. She then moved to Logan, Utah, for graduate school. She graduated from Utah State University with her Ph.D. in 2016 and returned to Texas to work for the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service as a Wildlife Extension Specialist.

Frank looks forward to focusing on conservation issues facing the Trans-Pecos region. “I’m intrigued by how much remains unknown out here. There are so many niche habitats, like the riparian areas which are so fascinating and valuable in a desert setting,” said Dr. Frank.

The newly created Associate Director of Operations role was designed to boost organizational capacity and efficiency. The position will support all aspects of BRI’s mission, which is to help conserve the natural resources of the Chihuahuan Desert Borderlands through research, education and outreach.

Adams brings experience from a twenty-plus-year career in wildlife management spanning from Florida to multiple regions across Texas. His move to Alpine marks the achievement of a lifelong dream to return to the area, after first encountering the region as a Range and Wildlife Management graduate student at Sul Ross State University in 1999. In his extensive work as a biologist and project leader with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department he worked on diverse projects, including quail research, habitat management, public hunting opportunities, public outreach, and habitat restoration.

“I’m looking forward to facilitating the conservation of native wildlife and habitats in the Trans-Pecos and I’m here to serve,” Adams said.

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Pronghorn research in West Texas was the topic for a recent segment of Mission Unstoppable, which airs nationally on CBS. BRI graduate student Lilly Morin was featured in the segment, and we couldn’t be prouder of her! Check out the segment!

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A paper recently published in the Journal of Wildlife Management by BRI grad student Matt Hewitt was featured in a recent article on The Wildlife Society’s website.

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Borderlands Research Institute | 432.837.8225 | bri@sulross.edu | http://bri.sulross.edu

P.O. Box C-21, SRSU, Alpine, Texas 79832

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