Four Bear Cubs Orphaned, Rescued Following Incidents in Cedar Crest and Galisteo

Four orphaned black bear cubs are in the care of northern New Mexico wildlife rehabilitators following two separate human-wildlife encounters in Cedar Crest and Galisteo that led state officials to euthanize both mother bears.

The animals were brought to Cottonwood Rehab, the wildlife rehabilitation arm of the Land of Enchantment Wildlife Foundation (LEWF). Led by veterinarian Dr. Kathleen Ramsay, widely known as the “Bear Doc,” the facility operates New Mexico’s only licensed black bear rehabilitation program.

The first incident involved a mother bear and a pair of cubs in Galisteo. According to foundation officials, the sow had killed livestock before returning the following day to break into a home. State wildlife officers trapped the mother and both cubs. Wildlife officials made the decision to euthanize the adult female to eliminate a public safety hazard and prevent her two cubs from learning habitual break-in behaviors, which prevent successful future relocation.

In a separate encounter in Cedar Crest, a second mother bear was euthanized after biting a person walking a dog. The lethal action was required under state protocol to secure brain tissue samples for mandatory rabies testing. Her two cubs were secured and transferred to the facility.

Both pairs of cubs will remain under specialized rehabilitation care until they are old enough and physically prepared for release back into the wild.

LEWF commended New Mexico Department of Wildlife officers for prioritizing relocation when possible, noting that lethal intervention is reserved for instances involving human attacks or destructive structural entries. The organization urged residents across mountain and foothill communities to lock ground-floor doors, latch windows, and secure potential food sources.