New Mexico Department of Game and Fish
Media contact: Jeremy Lane, (575) 532-2106
Public contact: Customer Service (888) 248-6866
Jeremy.lane@state.nm.us

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, JUNE 30, 2015:

DEMING BEAR RELOCATED TO GILA WILDERNESS

DEMING – Department of Game and Fish officers captured a young bear found eating trash on the front porch of a home near Deming on Monday and released it, unharmed, into the Gila Wilderness.

Officers set up a culvert trap to catch the bear after residents complained of it roaming the neighborhood off Butterfield Trail north of Deming over the weekend.

Residents reported the bear was still in the neighborhood Monday morning. Conservation officers found the bear sitting on the porch of a home rummaging through trash.

The young male bear was shot with a tranquilizer dart and taken away after falling asleep.

“This is a good reminder to everyone that no matter where you live in New Mexico, you’re in bear country,” said Public Information Officer Jeremy Lane. “Please keep all trash and other attractants away from your house to avoid bringing unwanted wildlife into it.”

If you live or camp in bear country:

  • Keep garbage in airtight containers inside your garage or storage area. Place garbage outside in the morning just before pickup, not the night before. Occasionally clean cans with ammonia or bleach.
  • Remove bird feeders. Bears see them as sweet treats, and often they will look for other food sources nearby.
  • Never put meat or sweet-smelling food scraps such as melon in your compost pile.
  • Don’t leave pet food or food dishes outdoors at night.
  • Clean and store outdoor grills after use. Bears can smell sweet barbecue sauce and grease for miles.
  • Never intentionally feed bears to attract them for viewing.
  • Keep your camp clean, and store food and garbage properly at all times. Use bear-proof containers when available. If not, suspend food, toiletries, coolers, and garbage from a tree at least 10 feet off the ground and 4 feet out from the tree trunk.
  • Keep your tent and sleeping bag free of all food smells. Store with your food the clothes you wore while cooking or eating.
  • Sleep a good distance from your cooking area or food storage site.

For more information about black bears in New Mexico, please visit the Department of Game and Fish website at www.wildlife.state.nm.us.

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