Wildlife Department catches bear after 4-day romp through Gallup
Wildlife officials safely contained a bear after its four-day trek through Gallup prompted officials to cancel youth events and soccer games.
Digital Assignment Editor
The Wildlife Department darted and contained a bear on Saturday that had been traveling freely through Gallup throughout the week, Gallup police said.
The bear had moved from the east side of the city into central Gallup over four days before wildlife officials contained the bear on Saturday, Chief Erin Toadlena-Pablo told KOAT 7 on Sunday.
RELATED: New Mexico Department of Wildlife captures a bear Sunday in northwest Albuquerque
Bear sightings in the city led to canceling youth events and soccer games, Toadlena-Pablo said, adding that it was the first time in her 26 years of service that a bear had made its way into the center of town.
The plan was to “relocate” the bear, possibly to the mountainous McGaffey area southeast of the city.
The police chief advised residents to be aware of wildlife and to be mindful of articles left outside.
School would be back in session on Monday, Toadlena-Pablo said.
See Gallup Police video of the bear here.
New Mexico saw an uptick in bear encounters in populated areas in 2026, including one fatal attack on the Navajo Nation.
Experts have attributed the increase in encounters to drought, the availability of food in human areas like fruit and trash, and a steady increase in the bear population over the last several years.