Closed trails bring wildlife closer to populated areas

July 09, 2011

game and fish says more wild animals- like bobcats- are coming down from the sandias into the city. in fact, just today a mother bobcat and her baby were captured in the far northeast heights. wardens think they may be moving closer to people because people aren't in the mountains. eddie garcia joins us live from near tramway and paseo with our big story. eddie. game and fish tells me reported sightings doubled in the past week. that may be due to absence of people on trails that have nature show for wildlife enthusiast lu linn. she says a bobcat father, mother and cub have been in and around her yard... until this morning when new mexico game and fish captured and relocated all but the male. linn wishes it could have ended differently. we are thrilled with it and most of the neighbors are thrilled with it. if they left the kittens alone we would have been happy to co-habitate with them with no problem whatsoever. she showed us where the bobcats have been hanging out - right next to he neighbors yard, the same place at least 3 house cats have disappeared in the past week. one of the attacks was witnessed by neighbor so we knew for sure that the bobcats were eating the cats. new mexico game and fish expect to see a lot more of these sightings this summer in the foothills and heavily wooded areas. bobcats have been very prevalent this year. new mexico game and fish says it's unsafe to leave pets outdoors overnight or at dawn and dusk. neighbors say that's common knowledge in these parts. we're not frightened, but we're just a little more careful. it's also a concern for young children. dolores garcia's granddaughter spotted a bobcat near her yard just a few days ago she says; do they eat people?' she's 8 and so she really wasn't sure and so we talked about it for a little while but they are in the neighborhood. all of the people we spoke to are aware and prepared for the fact that wild amals are among them. they lived here first, you know we came up here and put houses up here. game and fish says animals will use arroyos in the area as highways to get into town...so far they say they are staying along the fringes of the city but considering the drought and empty nature trails it's possible they will make their way futher into albuquerque.