AZ wildlife biologist Ted McKinney dies at 71

Dr. Ted D. McKinney passed Oct 22.

MESA AZ -- A native Arizonan, Ted McKinney was a biologist with Arizona Game and Fish Department's research branch. He also taught biology and wildlife management at Oklahoma State University and the University of Texas. His field research in Arizona focused mainly on desert bighorn sheep and mountain lions.

Ted was a friend to wildlife and will be missed. Our condolences go out to his family.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Dr. McKinney, a uniquely qualified man who worked tirelessly for wildlife and who exemplified the ‘man for all seasons’ persona of conscience and ethics, was one of the two most ethical and unbiased wildlife biologists/researchers that I ever had the pleasure of knowing. Before my retirement, I spent several days camping with Ted on Kofa NWR where he assisted with my fledgling Kofa cougar research. Notwithstanding his busy schedule with research work afield and his attendances of innumerable professional meetings, he promptly replied to my often-long e-mail requests or phone calls regarding bighorn and lion research. Ted never once halted or faltered with any of my correspondences and he always stated exactly what he was thinking without hesitation, reservation, or biasedness.

Dr. McKinney was a fine gentleman, an exemplary educator, an accomplished outdoorsman/horseman, and a man of the highest caliber who many people in the wildlife and scientific communities will mourn but who will forevermore remember as a man of substantive professional integrity of which we should all aspire to emulate.

I trust that the Arizona Game and Fish Department will honor and recognize Dr. McKinney with an exceptional memorial as one of the finest employees the Department has ever employed. Ted possessed extraordinary skills, knowledge, intelligence, experience, and a demeanor such that the agency will neither quite be able to adequately complement those attributes with another employee nor replace Dr. McKinney with an equal.

Ron Kearns
Retired Kofa NWR Wildlife Biologist, USFWS

Popular Posts