Deadly Night For Black Bears In Albuquerque, NM Area
CEDAR CREST, NM –-(Ammoland.com)-One person killed a black bear when it approached aggressively Wednesday night, and another person killed one that was attacking a llama near Placitas, the Department of Game and Fish announced Thursday.
State law allows individuals to kill wildlife when it is a threat to human safety, or is destroying crops or other property. As of early this week, the Department has handled 151 bear complaints since April 1, with more coming in each day.
More than 30 bears have been killed statewide since April 1, mostly males that were observed breaking into houses, attacking livestock, or involved in bear attacks on humans.
The bear killed in Cedar Crest by a citizen who felt threatened was a male roughly 200 pounds or more, shot once at about 15 feet. The llama attack was the work of an older male bear with worn teeth and about 175 pounds. The llama survived.
Game and Fish Conservation Officer John Martsh also caught a large male bear in a trap Wednesday night, and then had to respond to two additional bear calls.
“The bear activity is not slowing down,” Martsh said.
Thursday’s trapped bear was approximately 300 pounds and is the second one to be caught this year at the same residence on Juniper Hill Loop in Cedar Crest.
Although food shortages typically create bear problems each spring and summer, the aggressive nature of bears this year also may be a sign of an expanding bear population in some areas of the state, Department officials said.