Bear Rehab Center Cares for 17 Bears This Summer
Drought has pushed bears into New Mexico neighborhoods, so households should secure trash and pet food.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Wildlife
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New Mexico's only bear rehabilitation center, the Land of Enchantment Wildlife Foundation in Santa Cruz, cared for 17 bears this summer, its busiest stretch in nearly a decade. The bears came from around the state after drought-driven shortages of water and food pushed them into neighborhoods, dumpsters and backyards.
Why it matters
Dry conditions that starve bears of natural food and water push them toward human settlements, where they raise the odds of encounters with homes, trash and pets across the state. The foundation's surge shows how far that pressure reached this summer, with a count of 15 bears in care by mid-August.
The foundation handled 17 bears this summer, its busiest stretch in nearly a decade, and remains well below its 56-bear record set during the 2001 Cerro Grande wildfire. Sunflower, a bear that arrived from the Mescalero Apache Reservation in June at 22 pounds, was released last week by Game and Fish at 132 pounds.
The players
Land of Enchantment Wildlife Foundation
The only bear rehabilitation facility in New Mexico, based in Santa Cruz, which cares for orphaned and displaced bears until they can be returned to the wild.
New Mexico Department of Game and Fish
The state wildlife agency that released the bear Sunflower and oversees wildlife management across New Mexico.
The details
The foundation cares for cubs as well as yearlings, keeping the animals with as little human contact as possible while feeding them more to build their weight. Bears need to reach a sufficient body weight before they can survive on their own, and the cubs now at the center are expected to remain in Santa Cruz until spring. Bears attempt to consume as many as 20,000 calories a day at this time of year, which is why the foundation focuses on steady feeding during recovery.
Timeline
June: Sunflower arrived at the foundation from the Mescalero Apache Reservation weighing 22 pounds.
Mid-August: The foundation had 15 bears in its care.
Last week: Game and Fish released Sunflower at 132 pounds.
Spring: Cubs now at the center are expected to be released once they are heavy enough.
The Home Front
This year's intake places the foundation's workload between its quiet years and its 2001 peak, which followed the Cerro Grande wildfire. The rise reflects how drought and dry habitat push bears toward the edges of neighborhoods across the state.
If you live near wooded or dry foothill areas in New Mexico, secure trash cans, pet food and bird feeders, since food sources are what draw bears into yards. Contact the Department of Game and Fish rather than approaching a bear you encounter near your home.
The takeaway
Bears pushed out of natural habitats by drought will search for food wherever they can find it, so keeping trash and pet food secured is the most useful step a household can take. Keep the Game and Fish contact number handy in case a bear comes near your property.
What happens next
The cubs now at the center are expected to remain in Santa Cruz until spring, when they may be released once heavy enough to survive on their own.
Further reading
For more on the animals that share New Mexico's landscape, explore our Wildlife coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KOB.
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