Surviving Fire: A Burned Cub and New Mexico’s Wild Future

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Learning to Live With Bears: BearWise and Local Outreach

To reduce conflicts, state agencies and local organizations promote BearWise education programs. These efforts focus on reducing attractants around homes and campsites. Residents are encouraged to secure trash in bear-resistant containers, remove bird feeders when bears are active (typically spring, summer, and fall), clean grills and outdoor cooking areas thoroughly, and avoid leaving pet food or other attractants outdoors.

Outreach programs emphasize that preventing access to food protects both people and bears. When bears remain wary of humans and do not associate human areas with food sources, they are less likely to be involved in perilous encounters.Habituation to human food can lead to bears becoming bolder and perhaps destructive, often resulting in their relocation or, as a last resort, euthanasia. These practices help ensure that the state animal remains a viable part of the wild landscape rather than becoming a recurring problem near communities.

What the Black Bear Represents Today

When lawmakers selected the black bear ( *Ursus americanus*) as New Mexico’s state animal in 1967, they recognized it as more than just a popular mascot.

The bear represented