As this year comes to a close, we are filled with gratitude and expectation.
God has opened doors for Higher CallingWildlife® to step into an exciting and impactful 2026—a year where we will continue bringing the love of Christ to hurting children through meaningful wildlife encounters.
For many of the children we serve, life has been marked by trauma, instability, or loss. When they step into a safe environment and connect with animal encounters, walls begin to come down. Smiles appear. Trust is built. And seeds of faith and restoration are planted.
We Need Your Help Right Now
To step into 2026 prepared and positioned for impact, we are seeking to raise $2,000 in the next two days. These funds will directly support our outreach efforts and allow us to continue serving children who desperately need encouragement.
Would you consider making a tax-deductible donation before the end of the year?
Your generosity—no matter the amount—will make a tangible difference in the lives of hurting children. You are not just giving financially; you are partnering with us in ministry, helping create moments where children can experience joy, peace, and God’s love in a powerful way.
If Higher Calling Wildlife® has ever encouraged you, inspired you, or stirred your heart for children in need, we invite you to take this step with us today.
Thank you for believing in this mission, for praying, for giving, and for helping us bring light to children who need it most through a mutual love of wildlife.
I was driving slowly down a winding farm to market road during one of our Higher Calling Wildlife® expeditions for kids, scanning the landscape the way I always do.
The Hill Country was quiet that day, limestone hills rolling away under a pale sky, live oaks scattered like old sentinels. We had a family with us — a father, his brother-in-law, and two boys and the conversation inside the vehicle was relaxed, focused on native exotic wildlife we expected to see.
Then I slammed on the brakes.
I pointed across the road and told everyone to look — now — because behind the fence on the other side was something no one on that road would ever be able to top in terms of strange animal sightings.
Standing there, calm and unmistakable, was a pair of tapirs.
The two tapirs I photographed in 2020.
For a moment, no one spoke. The boys leaned forward. The adults squinted. And then came the same reaction I felt myself: disbelief followed by certainty. These weren’t hogs. They weren’t exotic cattle. They weren’t something that could be explained away with a shrug. They were tapirs.
This wasn’t a low fence or a small enclosure. The animals were behind a high-fence game ranch, but one that encompassed thousands of acres. The terrain behind them stretched far into the Hill Country, rugged and expansive, not the kind of place where animals are casually displayed or easily noticed. The tapirs looked healthy. Relaxed. At home.
For readers unfamiliar with them, tapirs are large, primitive mammals that resemble a cross between a pig and a small elephant. They have stocky bodies, short legs, and a distinctive flexible snout that functions almost like a tiny trunk.
They’re native to Central and South America and parts of Southeast Asia, where they live in dense forests and near water. They are shy, largely nocturnal animals, powerful swimmers, and rarely seen even in their native range. That’s what makes encountering a pair of tapirs in the Texas Hill Country so unsettling — not just because they’re exotic, but because they’re the last animals anyone expects to see standing quietly along a Texas road.
The sighting happened in 2020, and it stayed with me long after we drove on. Not because it was shocking, but because it was real. Everyone in that vehicle saw the same thing. No argument. No confusion. No embellishment. Just two animals that did not belong on any official list of what you’re supposed to see along a Texas road.
Texas has one of the largest exotic wildlife populations in North America, but most people only know the familiar ones. Axis deer and blackbuck antelope have become so common on Hill Country roads that many drivers barely give them a second look.
Those animals are just the surface. Scattered across private ranches are animals few Texans — and even fewer visitors — ever encounter: bongo antelope, eland, Cape buffalo, and other species typically associated with Africa, not limestone hills and cedar breaks. These animals live behind fences, often on massive properties, and remain largely invisible unless you happen to be in the right place at the right time. Apparently, that list now includes tapirs.
A bongo. There are growing numbers of them on exotic ranches in Texas.
I returned to that area in 2021 and didn’t see them. I assumed the moment had passed — a one-time encounter, filed away among the strange but unrepeatable experiences that come with spending a lifetime outdoors. Then, in 2025, I went back again, and there they were. In the same general area. Along the same stretch of road. As solid and unmistakable as before. This time, I took a photograph — the one I’ll be posting with this article. Not because I needed proof for myself, but because I knew how impossible this would sound to anyone who hadn’t seen it with their own eyes. Of all the exotic animals I’ve encountered, this remains the strangest.
That same trip delivered another reminder of how fluid wildlife reality can be in this state. In the Edwards Plateau, I saw a free-ranging elk — not behind a fence, not confined, but moving through Hill Country habitat. Growing elk populations in Texas are something I’ve written about before, and this sighting fit a quiet but expanding pattern. It wasn’t shocking. It was simply confirmation that animals move, adapt, and establish themselves long before we’re ready to update the narrative.
Rob Moore sent us this photo of a free-ranging elk near Roosevelt, TX.
Over the years, I’ve followed up on countless strange animal reports. Some lead nowhere. Others lead to surprises. One of the most memorable involved a report of a kangaroo on private property in East Texas. I went to investigate the very next day, expecting a misunderstanding. Instead, I found kangaroo tracks — clean impressions, clear movement patterns, no doubt about what made them. Texas, it turns out, is home to far more kangaroos and wallabies than most people realize — legally owned, privately kept, and occasionally wandering where they shouldn’t be.
I’ve even received a report of an elephant in Henderson County. That one was almost certainly an escape, but it reinforced the same truth. You never know what people are going to see. And sometimes, they’re right.
The outdoors has taught me one thing over and over again: certainty is fragile. Animals appear where we don’t expect them. They persist quietly. They adapt. They move. Whether it’s tapirs behind a Hill Country fence, elk moving through plateau country, kangaroos leaving tracks in East Texas soil, or even an elephant wandering where it clearly shouldn’t be, the land continues to surprise those who pay attention.
That day on the farm to market road, with two boys staring wide-eyed out the window, I was reminded why these experiences matter. Not because they’re rare. Not because they’re unbelievable. But because they remind us that the natural world is far less tidy — and far more interesting — than any list, map, or expectation we’ve drawn for it.
And sometimes, the most unforgettable wildlife sightings happen when you least expect them — just beyond a fence, on a road you’ve driven a hundred times before.
Chester Moore
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A recent report of a possible mountain lion near Sacramento International Airport turned out to be something very different. According to KCRA, the animal spotted lying in a muddy canal was not a cougar at all, but an abandoned French bulldog.
The dog was rescued and taken to a shelter after wildlife responders determined it had likely been dumped. While the story quickly went viral, it also highlighted a familiar issue in wildlife reporting: misidentification.
When you think of animals that look like a mountain it’s of course the French bulldog.
But misidentification doesn’t mean reports should be dismissed outright. It means they should be verified.
That distinction matters when discussing mountain lions, especially outside the western United States. In many regions, cougars are still considered absent based on official range maps. When sightings occur outside those boundaries, they are often written off immediately.
Sometimes that’s justified. Sometimes it isn’t.
I recently documented clear photographic evidence of mountain lions outside the accepted range, taken in East Texas. These images are not folklore or rumor. They are photographs evaluated in context with known mountain lion anatomy, behavior, and dispersal patterns.
I break down the evidence and what it does and does not suggest — in this video:
Mountain Lions Where They’re Not Supposed to Be (Photographic Evidence from East Texas) 👉Click here to watch.
The Sacramento case ended with a dog being rescued because someone took a report seriously enough to investigate. That same principle applies everywhere.
Verification matters.
Chester Moore
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Today is Giving Tuesday, and we’re inviting you to be part of something truly life-changing.
Two weeks ago, the 300th child came through our Wild Wishes® program—a milestone that represents hundreds of young lives touched with hope, encouragement, and the healing power of wildlife. Many of these kids have faced deep trauma, loss, or ongoing hardship. Wild Wishes® grants wildlife encounters to hurting children, creating moments of joy and wonder that often open the door to emotional and spiritual healing.
For nearly seven years, Higher Calling Wildlife has been leading transformative wildlife expeditions with kids across the country—Colorado, Wyoming, Tennessee, Texas, Arkansas, and Florida. These trips provide powerful outdoor experiences, Christ-centered mentorship, and the chance for kids to encounter God’s creation in unforgettable ways. The mountains, forests, coastlines, and wild spaces we explore become places where hope is restored and purpose takes root.
Watch our mini-documentary on that program here.
We also serve countless youth in foster care through other facets of our ministry, offering support, encouragement, and opportunities many would never otherwise receive.
This year, however, we’re behind on donations compared to recent years. To continue saying “yes” to every child who needs us—and to start 2026 strong—we are asking for your support.
Help us grant more Wild Wishes® encounters to hurting kids
Equip us to serve children in foster care through specialized outreach programs
Support ongoing Higher Calling wildlife expeditions and mentorship
Allow us to reach more kids for Christ through our wildlife-based ministry
Ensure no child is turned away due to funding
Every donation, big or small, makes a direct impact. You can bring encouragement, hope, and unforgettable wildlife experiences to children who desperately need them.
Thank you for standing with us and helping transform young lives—one wild wish at a time.
Manatee mistaken identity A gentle sea cow once took the blame for damage in Texas waters—but mounting evidence suggests the real culprits were juvenile bull sharks stirring up trouble.
The “lassoed” bull shark rumor A newspaper once claimed Texas game wardens “lassoed” a bull shark after it attacked someone. Spoiler: that’s pure myth, and I’ll explain why in the video.
A 40-year-old great white tale Decades ago, whispers spread that a “baby great white” was found in Sabine Lake. We’ll sift through whether that story has any teeth—or if it’s just another fishy rumor.
From jaw-dropping legends to real shark science, this commentary explores the history, the hype, and what’s actually swimming beneath the surface of Texas waterways.
Hey friends – big update from the road! We just found out we’ll be spending time with two new kids TODAY – children who are hurting and in need of hope. We are going to take them up to 11,000 feet to photograph marmots and elk here in the Rockies.
We’re honored to walk into their lives with love, encouragement, and Christ-centered wildlife encounters that speak deeply to their hearts. 🌿🐻
And when we return home, we’ll be welcoming an incredible new family into the Higher Calling community, while also facing annual medical costs for our animal team that brings so much healing to these children.
One of the kids in our program photographing mule deer yesterday.
👉 We’re asking for help raising $800 to cover:
$500 – gifts and a special outing for the kids and the new Colorado family here in the Rockies.
$300 – annual veterinary care for the animals
Every dollar is tax-deductible and goes directly to the mission – no salaries, no fluff. Just real love and real wildlfe.
Costs have risen, and we’ve had to ask more directly – but your generosity keeps making it possible. I don’t ask for help here much on the blog but I straight up need it now.
Thank you!
Here’s a photo of Lisa handing out some of the beautiful gifts donors helped us get for this trip. It’s awesome to see people being surprised at these acts of kindness shared in wild places.
And the Austin Stevens Young Adventurer Award goes to...
Our sweet friend Bellamy Korn is the recipient of our Austin Stevens Young Adventurer Award! This award honors are good friend Austin Stevens, who is one of the greatest wildlife tv hosts of all time.
Bellamy despite having dealt with cancer has made 100 hikes since her diagnosis and she is doing great! Last year, she and her awesome brothers and her sweet mom Sarah Bailey joined us to do photography in Estes Park.
Bellamy is a big inspiration for us and we love her very much.
Chester Moore, founder of Higher Calling Wildlife®, received multiple honors at the recent Press Club of Southeast Texas “Excellence In Media Awards,” including First Place: Top Blog for Higher Calling Wildlife — marking the fourth year in a row the blog has earned that distinction.
“It’s an honor to be recognized by such a prestigious organization and to do so well in a field of so many great journalists. It’s humbling and also inspiring,” Moore said.
This year’s awards were particularly meaningful for Moore, as several of the recognized stories touched on subjects that hold deep personal significance. Among them was his investigative reporting on the illegal wildlife trafficking and cloning of Marco Polo sheep, which received first place in Environmental Reporting and Audio News Story. His work spotlighted the complex ethical and conservation challenges posed by cloning technology and wildlife trade.
Moore also received first place honors for Best Talk Show for his Moore Outdoors interview with the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, covering the growing presence of great white sharks in the Gulf of Mexico — a topic he has followed closely in recent years.
“It was special to be recognized for stories that are important to me personally and professionally — like the return of great white sharks to the Gulf and the Marco Polo sheep cloning case. These are issues that I believe deserve attention and thoughtful discussion,” Moore added.
In addition to the blog and environmental reporting categories, Moore’s work was recognized across several formats with first place wins, including Overall Podcast Excellence for Dark Outdoors, Corporate Video for his Wild Wishes Program, and Travel Writing for Texas Fish & Game.
Additional honors included second place for Video Storytelling, Headline Writing, and Best Podcast Individual Episode, along with third place awards in Social Media, General Blog for Gulfgreatwhites.com, Documentary, Special Supplements for the Wild Sheep Foundation Conservation Impact document, and an additional Audio News Story focused on a great white shark off South Padre Island.
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Beneath the surface of Hollywood’s most iconic ocean thriller lies a deeper, darker truth. In this chilling episode, we venture into the murky waters behind the making of Jaws—a film that forever altered our perception of the sea and its apex predator. But the terror didn’t end on screen.
We dive into real-life great white shark attacks that fueled the public’s fear and expose how Steven Spielberg’s cinematic masterpiece led to shark persecution but also inspired some to take up shark conservation. From behind-the-scenes chaos and mechanical monsters to blood-soaked beaches and misunderstood killers, this is the untold story of fear, fiction, and fallout.
Listen to a fun episode of Dark Outdoors on the real story behind Jaws that you have never heard.
In a bold new step for aquaculture, scientists at Auburn University have created a genetically modified catfish containing an alligator gene—not to grow scales or teeth, but to fight disease. Using CRISPR gene-editing, researchers inserted the cathelicidin gene, which helps alligators resist infections, into channel catfish embryos. The modified fish also carry a sterility switch, ensuring they can’t breed in the wild.
The goal? Combat the major issue of aquatic disease that leads to billions in losses globally. In tests, the hybrid catfish had up to five times higher survival rates against bacterial infections compared to normal stock.
The technology is still under review for commercial use, but its implications are vast: fewer antibiotics, higher yield, and built-in ecological safeguards.
Higher Calling Wildlife® is closely following this emerging space, particularly after receiving recent awards for investigative reporting on wildlife cloning—including the controversial case of the cloned Marco Polo sheep. With conservation, biotech, and law intersecting in unexpected ways, these stories are only beginning to unfold.
Chester Moore
Chester Moore
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The Biblical Zoo in Jerusalem has successfully reintroduced 20 Persian (Mesopotamian) fallow deer into the wild this spring. The release marks a bold new chapter for the species, once teetering on the brink of extinction.
“We’re beyond excited to share that our Spring 2025 Persian (Mesopotamian) fallow deer release has successfully reintroduced 20 captive-bred deer into the wild!” the zoo announced.
This release took place at Nachal Dolev Nature Reserve, nestled in the scenic Judean Hills, just 25 kilometers from Jerusalem.
The location is significant. For two decades, the zoo has been working tirelessly to restore the Persian fallow deer population through carefully managed releases. Now, for the first time, the deer are being returned to new territory closer to Jerusalem, allowing them to reclaim portions of their ancient habitat.
“After 20 years of successful reintroductions, we’re now expanding to new territory near Jerusalem, helping this once nearly extinct species reclaim its ancient homeland!” the zoo shared.
The latest release also marked a major shift in strategy. In past efforts, the deer were gradually introduced to the wild using fenced acclimatization areas, allowing them time to adjust to their new surroundings. This time, however, the zoo’s team took a more daring approach.
“For the first time, we released the deer directly into the wild—without a fenced acclimatization area!” they said.
Extensive research conducted over the years had shown that the fallow deer are remarkably adaptable and capable of thriving in the Judean Hills, where food sources and water are plentiful.
To ensure the safety and success of the reintroduction, each deer has been fitted with an electronic tracking collar.
These devices enable the zoo’s scientists to monitor the animals’ movements and behaviors in real time, providing critical data on how the deer adjust to their new environment. The information gathered will help guide future conservation efforts, both in Israel and abroad.
Beyond the scientific achievement, the release was also a day of celebration.
“The day itself was a celebration—a joyful outing in the stunning spring landscape, surrounded by wildflowers and perfect weather,” the zoo reported.
Staff, scientists, and volunteers gathered to witness the culmination of years of hard work and dedication. “It was a well-earned reward for our dedicated staff and volunteers, whose tireless efforts are bringing this majestic species back to life.”
The success of the Persian fallow deer restoration project is a poweful conservation statement in a war-torn part of the world.
Thanks to the Biblical Zoo and its partners, these graceful creatures now roam once again where their ancestors once thrived—a living symbol of renewal in the land of their origin.
