Susana Martinez, New Mexico Governor, Visited By Bear In Santa Fe (VIDEO)
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Given the many issues that politicians must face, a bear is probably not high on their list of concerns. But this past weekend, New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez was confronted by this very challenge.
The Associated Press reports that surveillance video near the governor's mansion caught a bear overturning trash cans over the weekend, looking for food.
According to the Albuquerque Journal, a news release from the Governor's Office stated that earlier this month, residents of the Los Alamos area were warned that bears had been displaced by the wildfire, and wandered in the community.
Fire officials reported that the Los Alamos fire erupted in late June after a tree fell onto power lines. The fire was fueled by an noticeably dry season accompanied by erratic winds, according to The Associated Press.
In Arizona last month, the largest wildfire in the state's history hit not only the people of the region, but also the animals, further threatening a number of endangered species in the area, likely including the threatened Mexican spotted owls.
Earlier this year, scientists and government planners said that deadly droughts (along with deep snowfalls and major floods) would be the "new normal" of extreme U.S. weather events fueled by climate change, according to Reuters.
On Monday, Martinez reminded New Mexicans, “In order to ensure our own safety and the safety of New Mexico’s wildlife, it is important that we all avoid encouraging animals displaced by the drought conditions and recent fires from visiting our homes and communities... take proactive steps to keep animals away from your home by removing or safeguarding items like pet food, bird feeders, and — as Chuck and I learned this weekend — trash cans.”
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First Posted: 07/19/11 12:01 PM ET Updated: 09/18/11 06:12 AM ET