Cammie Wilks, Campus Carrier features editor

Bella Patton, Campus Carrier asst. features editor

Berry is renowned for its beautiful campus and atmosphere. With 27,000 acres, there is so much wildlife that students may not notice from day-to-day. Besides the endless number of deer, Berry is fortunate to be a home to a diverse group of animals, ranging all the way from the campus cats and cattle to wild coyotes. These animals do not just add to the atmosphere of the school, they also represent an important piece of animal conservation and resources here at Berry. 

In the past, Berry students have been able to hear coyotes in the woods.  With these animals being so reclusive, they are more likely to be heard than seen. However, Professor of Biology Chris Mowry saw an opportunity to study these reclusive animals with the creation of his own organization, the Atlanta Coyote Project. 

“When I first came to Berry, I was kind of realizing we have coyotes on campus,” Mowry said. “We didn’t ever see them, we would hear them, and I had this student back in the early 2000s who I put out cameras with.” 

During that time, Mowry reached out to a friend of his that he knew from graduate school, an ecologist at the Fernbank Science Center. He encouraged Mowry to work further with coyotes, especially because they were in the city. 

“One thing led to another, and we decided to work together. This was in 2015, almost 15 years after  I started studying coyotes,” Mowry said. “We decided to form the Atlanta Coyote Project, and we wanted to use Atlanta so people knew that it was in the Southeast.” 

Now, as he utilizes his project, trail cameras and classes here at Berry, Mowry continues to study coyotes, along with many other types of animals, and their important place in the ecosystem.  Mowry and his students monitor other animals, such as birds and their migration patterns, using a detection system on the House of Dreams. Bats are also monitored with a detector on Victory Lake. 

“We have this incredible campus with a high level of biodiversity, and what I’m trying to do with my colleagues and students is provide opportunities to learn about this biodiversity, to study it, to research it, and to share it with other people,” Mowry said. 

The cattle at Berry are some of the most visible animals on campus. If the first animal a person sees when visiting Berry is not a deer, it is likely to be a grazing cow. Not only are these cows some of the most popular to visit and see, but they are also a resource for students to work with animals in real-life scenarios.

Sophomore Audrey Courtney receives first-hand experience with Berry’s cattle as an animal science major and employee at Berry’s beef farm. Courtney said they do everything  from  driving  the tractors,  to giving hay, giving shots, checking for pregnancy, taking blood and tagging babies. They also separate and sort their cows depending on traits such as weight, temperament or health.

Courtney said working  with the beef  farm at Berry has been a great experience as an animal science student on a pre-vet track. Livestock helps her see the industry side of animal operations better.  Not only  is  working  in the farms at Berry helpful for students enrolled in animal science classes, they also contribute to the Berry Enterprises.

Getting this first-hand experience is also important because it lets students see if they want to work in this industry in the future. According to Courtney, working with these animals have given her a sense of fulfillment within her job and about the future.

“I work in admissions too, and animal science is one of our biggest majors, but also one of our most dropped majors,” Courtney said. “Being sure you know you want to do it is important.  It’s  like a lifestyle, you  know, not just a job.”

At Berry, many speak fondly about the cats at Krannert. These curious kitties are also famous on social media platforms including Instagram and Yik Yak. They hang out at Kilpatrick Commons and are often fed by students. However, because students feed them food from the Dining Hall, the cats have the potential to get sick.

Sophomore Caleb Coons would feed the cats daily with chicken from the Dining Hall. However, now he feeds them with cat food provided by Clinical Specialist for the PA Program, Michele Wahl, after they bonded over their love of the cats. 

“I continue to feed them because I have a cat at home who I miss,” Coons said. “Feeding, petting and taking pictures of these cats gives me joy and takes up a majority of my camera roll.”

As students and faculty walk around Berry’s grounds, it’s clear just how unique our environment is. From campus cats and deer to coyotes and cattle, it houses an ecosystem where humans and animals coexist. Even with some animals being seen more than others, Berry is a place where students, visitors and faculty can appreciate the beauty of campus, the importance of conservation and the many unique forms of life that Berry houses.