‘I’m extremely angry that it happened’: Sandia Heights homeowner upset after neighbor shoots mama bear
A Sandia Heights resident expressed anger after a neighbor shot and injured a mama bear, raising concerns about increased wildlife encounters in New Mexico neighborhoods.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. —
A Sandia Heights resident is speaking out after a neighbor shot and injured a mama black bear that had been frequenting the area with her two cubs.
“That’s why most of us live up here — is because we see wildlife and we can share the area with the wildlife,” said Patricia “Pat” Hagar, who has lived in the neighborhood for the past decade.
Hagar said she has enjoyed observing the local wildlife, including a mama bear and her two cubs, which she had been monitoring through her Ring cameras over the past few months.
“Most prevalently, they would come at least once a week, sometimes twice,” she said. “The last time they came was August 2nd.”
Several hours after Hagar captured video of the bears on August 2, a neighbor shot and injured the mama bear after seeing it in his backyard.
“I’m very, very disappointed,” Hagar said. “I’m angry. I’m extremely angry that it happened.”
The shooting follows a noticeable increase in bear activity in residential areas across New Mexico. Last week, state police reported four bears were hit and killed by vehicles on I-25 south of Santa Fe.
“They need to live, and they just want to live just like anybody who wants food and water,” Hagar said.
Hagar suggested that a statewide drought might be contributing to the rise in bear sightings, a statement echoed by the Department of Wildlife’s Game and Fish division.
“We are seeing an increase of bear sightings within populated areas across the state this year, due in part to an abnormally dry spring and summer that has reduced the food and water supply at higher elevations,” Game and Fish spokesperson Darren Vaughan wrote in a statement. “This is leading them into populated areas where food and water are more available.”
Hagar also emphasized the importance of residents taking precautions to ensure the safety of both people and wildlife in neighborhoods like Sandia Heights, which border natural areas.
“I do not feed my bears. I don’t have my trash outside. There’s no birdseed. There’s nothing like that,” Hagar said. “Just the water. I think that’s the humane thing to do, to provide water to life.”
Vaughan said the injured bear has been relocated to a bear habitat away from populated areas. An investigation into the man that shot her is still ongoing.
The city recommends keeping garbage in closed cans and storing pet food indoors to reduce the likelihood of wildlife encounters. More tips can be found on its website.
