Chadwick bear

Tom Meister poses with a tranquilized black bear during Missouri Department of Conservation research in the Chadwick Area of the Mark Twain National Forest. The bear was weighed, measured, radio-collared, and his ear was tagged and tattooed before release. Meister says the bear weighed more than 400 pounds and broke the scale.

Please join us May 19 as Tom Meister of the Missouri Department of Conservation discusses mammals that are relatively new on the Missouri landscape — mountain lions, black bears, feral hogs, elk,  armadillos, nutria, wolves. (Wolves?) He’ll discuss how these animals got here or whether they’ve always been here. In either case, what impact could they have on the diversity of the state’s natural resources?

Meister has more than 20 years’ experience as a naturalist and wildlife biologist, and is currently Wildlife Damage Biologist with the Department of Conservation. He has been a member of research/relocation/response teams for mountain lions, black bears, elk and feral hogs.

His talk — “New Mammals in Missouri: Invasive, Introduced or Interlopers?” ­— will begin at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 19, and is part of the Endangered Wolf Center’s 2016 Speaker Series.

The cost is just $10. Reservations are required and easily made by calling 636-938-5900. Seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

The one-hour Speaker Series program, followed by a question and answer session, will be held in Tyson Research Center’s Living Learning Center. Come to the Endangered Wolf Center’s front gate at 6750 Tyson Valley Road, Eureka, MO 63025, and you’ll be directed to the Living Learning Center. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the talk will start at 7 p.m.