Bear put down for 'unacceptable behavioral traits'

A brown bear captured in Tucumcari on Monday has been put down because it exhibited "unacceptable behavioral traits," said Game Warden Capt. Clint Henson.

Henson said the bear was spotted in a highly populated area, which is an indication it was not frightened of interaction with humans, which could have proved dangerous.

Some area residents expressed disappointment the 125-pound male bear was killed.

"They told me it was too young to be released into the wild," Tucumcari's Bonnie Smith said. "However, the bear was old enough to travel more than 60 miles into town on its own."

Officials said the bear was about 18 months old.

"It's so sad, the poor innocent bear had no idea when he was coming into town to find food he'd meet his end," said Tucumcari's Betty Coslett.

"I think it could have been handled differently. I am sad, the people I have spoken to are sad about the whole incident."

But officials said they had little choice but to destroy the bear.

New Mexico Game and Fish spokesman Dan Williams said relocation of wayward bears shows to be unsuccessful if they are not taken far enough away. He said if bears have been in a city and become accustomed to the food, they will travel to another town and exhibit the same behavior.

Williams said he is unaware of any zoos in the area that would take in a wild bear.

Williams said the U.S. Forestry Service has asked Game and Fish not to release bears in their parks and they also cannot be released on state park land due to public safety concerns.

He said the bear could not be released to an individual even if they own private property.

Henson said the only place to drop off wildlife is in an area near the Cruces Basin wilderness. He said it is a six-hour drive to the location from Tucumcari, where, like many areas in the state, the bear population is high.

Williams said a recent study has shown there is a healthy bear population with lots of juvenile bears looking for a territory.

Henson said with the high population of bears, relocating the animal found in Tucumcari might well have resulted in it being killed by another bear or driven away to another populated area.

The bear was spotted near South Seventh Street and West McGee Avenue in the Tucumcari city limits. It soon settled in a tree for what became a two-hour standoff with local law officers and game wardens.

Williams said the bear may have traveled down the Canadian River in an attempt to find a food source.

Henson said bears have also recently been sighted in Santa Rosa and Clayton.