Diego Lopez, Editor
SAN RAFAEL, N.M. – A black bear was found dead on May 18 off Highway 57 past the Village of San Rafael, near the Bandera Volcano trail system. Photos submitted to the Cibola Citizen show the bear lying in a clearing with a stuffed animal clutched to its side—the image raised community concerns about wildlife safety and road collisions.
The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish clarified that they had responded to a different bearrelated incident in the area two weeks earlier.
“Our officer received a report on May 18 of a bear being struck by a vehicle near mile marker 70 on State Road 53,” said Darren Vaughan, Communications Director for the Department. “The bear was located the next day at mile marker 72, and the carcass was removed from the roadway and later disposed of.