Black Eagle Ranch

08/20/2026

Happy Thursday! Pere David deer Nickname: Known in Chinese as sibuxiang ("four unlike") because it looks like a mix of different animals (hooves of a cow, neck of a camel, tail of a donkey, antlers of a deer).

08/12/2026

Happy hump day from Carmela. She is a dromedary camel. Camels can run up to 40 miles per hour, making them as fast as a racehorse. Known as ships of the desert, camels signature swaying walk is caused by moving both legs on one side of their bodies at the same time.

08/07/2026

Good morning from Cindy Lou!
Giraffes are the tallest animals in the world. Their spots form unique patterns that distinguish them from other giraffes.

07/04/2026

07/04/2026

Did you know that Bongo are mostly nocturnal?

06/23/2026

SCREWWORM UPDATE - JUNE 23, 2026

Dearest Readers,

As of 12:30 am today, the United States has confirmed 15 cases of New World Screwworm since the first detection earlier this month.

The most recent update added:
• 1 lamb in Crockett County, Texas
• 2 calves in Edwards County, Texas

Confirmed cases have now been identified in multiple species, including cattle, sheep, goats, dogs, and wildlife investigations remain ongoing.

This serves as an important reminder that screwworm is not strictly a cattle issue. Any warm-blooded animal with a wound can become a host.

The map released by the Texas Animal Health Commission and USDA currently shows these Texas counties with confirmed livestock cases:
• Zavala
• La Salle
• Gillespie
• Edwards
• Sutton
• Tom Green
• Crockett (new)

When looking at the map, one thing immediately stands out. The outbreak is no longer confined to a single county or a small cluster along the border. Instead, confirmed cases now form a corridor stretching through a significant portion of South and Central Texas ranch country.

-The red outlined counties represent confirmed detections.
-The yellow counties are quarantine zones where movement restrictions and enhanced surveillance are in place.
-The green counties are local reference counties that currently have no confirmed cases.

What many people may not realize is that the expanding quarantine area is actually a good sign. It means officials are attempting to get ahead of the fly rather than waiting for additional counties to become infected before taking action.

Crockett County is especially noteworthy because it pushes the known footprint farther north and west. Gillespie County also continues to draw attention because it sits outside the original South Texas cluster, showing that surveillance efforts are finding cases beyond the initial outbreak area.

The good news is that the map still appears to reflect a containment effort. Cases are being detected, reported, quarantined, and responded to quickly.
Sterile fly releases continue, surveillance is increasing, and movement restrictions are being used to slow spread.

The bad news is that screwworm does not recognize county lines, property fences, species, or registration papers. It only needs a wound.

Every confirmed case started with an injury, no matter how small.

Check cuts, tick bites, navels on newborns, branding sites, ear tags, and castration sites.

Then check them again tomorrow.

This map doesn't tell us it's time to panic.
It tells us it's time to pay attention.

Always Observing,
The Bettys ☕️

More information:

Treatment (long version): https://www.facebook.com/share/1ELCxAmKRi/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Treatment (short version): https://www.facebook.com/share/1BRi1QxcYw/?mibextid=wwXIfr

What does it look like? https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1BQ7FNad1d/?mibextid=wwXIfr

What are they attracted to? https://www.facebook.com/share/1956k754Ui/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Timeline: https://www.facebook.com/share/18kn22cmVb/?mibextid=wwXIfr

06/23/2026

Dama gazelle Tuesday! 
Damas are the largest and rarest gazelle species. They are on the critically endangered list as there are only 200 mature individuals in the wild. Thanks to ranchers and zoos breeding them in captivity, there are more than 2000 damas in existence. Captive breeding is the lifeline for this species.

06/12/2026

Wildebeest may look like bovines, but are actually large African antelope!

06/10/2026

Good morning from the lemurs!! Lemur of the world‘s oldest primate. Because of habitat loss, all of the 100 distinct species are endangered in the wild.