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. Its mission is to provide science-based information for enhancing the conservation and management of wildlife in South Texas and related environment.

The Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute was established in 1981 by a grant from the Caesar Kleberg Foundation for Wildlife Conservation and has grown into one of the leading wildlife research programs in the United States.

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 17 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 College of Agriculture and Human Sciences. The Institute operates as a nonprofit organization and depends financially upon private contributions and faculty grantsmanship.

Institute scientists focus on five broad areas of research:

Wildlife Biology, Ecology, and Management

• Deer Research Program
• Feline Research Center
• Richard M. Kleberg, Jr. Center for Quail Research
• Wetlands and Wetland Bird Research Program
• Molecular Genetics Core Laboratory
• Wildlife Research Technologies Laboratory

 

Habitat Ecology and Management

• Center for Semi-arid Land Ecology
• South Texas Natives
• On Campus Federal Partner: USDA-NRCS Kiki de la Garza Plant Materials Center

 

Wildlife Diseases, Parasitology, and Toxicology

• On Campus Federal Partner: USDA-APHIS-Wildlife Services, Wildlife Disease Field Station
• North American Brown Tree Snake Control Team

 

Economic Development of Natural Resources

 

Citizen Science

• South Texas Wintering Bird Program
  

 

Looking to the Future

The Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute has made a positive impact on the art and science of wildlife management and conservation, regionally, nationally, and internationally. Strong, forward-thinking administrative leadership coupled with excellent faculty has kept the Institute on the cutting edge. We, at the Institute, wish to maintain this advantage as we look ahead to the future and as we address the wildlife and conservation concerns that will face us in the 21st Century.

To stay at the forefront and meet the challenges facing wildlife management and conservation into the next century, financial resources are needed. If you would like to be a participant in our exciting wildlife research program, we encourage you to make a tax deductible contribution to the Institute. No gift is too small. Additionally, for those wishing to make substantial donations to the Institute, there are opportunities for funding scholarships, fellowships, professorships, and chairs in the name of the benefactor.

With your help, we can look to the future with confidence that we are doing everything possible to provide the best for wildlife and preserve this important natural resource for future generations to enjoy.

If you would like to know more about the Institute or seek additional information regarding gift-giving opportunities, please [click here].