NMG&F Conservation Officer Ariel Perraglio discusses when the public should contact her department regarding wildlife issues during a presentation Aug. 21 at the Los Alamos Nature Center. Photo by Kirsten Laskey/ladailypost.com

BY KIRSTEN LASKEY
Los Alamos Daily Post
kirsten@ladailypost.com

In Los Alamos, residents need to be mindful of their neighbors – meaning the four-legged, furry wildlife that seem more and more comfortable strolling through neighborhoods and jaywalking across streets.

New Mexico Department of Game and Fish (NMG&F) Conservation Officer Ariel Perraglio discussed how humans can best interact with the mule deer, black bears and even mountain lions during a town hall meeting Aug. 21 at the Los Alamos Nature Center.

Regardless of which animal people come across, there is a common theme: don’t feed the wildlife.

This is something Los Alamos County Council has been mulling over recently: should there be a County ordinance prohibiting feeding wildlife?

During the town hall meeting, Los Alamos County Council Vice Chair Theresa Cull asked NMG&F Sgt. Ben Otero whether an ordinance would offer any benefits to Game and Fish.

“So how that would help us is it frees up a little bit of our time with how many times we have to come out here … since the city or county is right here they just would be able to go handle it and write the complaint right there and they may catch the person red-handed,” he said. “Where for us we are usually going to be a day away, that’s just reality in our world … there’s only four of us for this whole area – from 550 to Colorado – the north-central part of the state. We have calls all over …”

Otero added with a local ordinance in place, “it would have real consequences for (the offenders’) actions in real time …”

While a possible ordinance continues to be discussed, Perraglio identified steps individuals can take and one of the biggest is don’t offer food to animals.

“The animals don’t need supplemental feed from us, they are doing just fine without us interjecting,” Perraglio said.

It’s not just food such as bird feeders or water that needs to be moved away from wildlife, it is other items, too. Perraglio showed pictures of a mule deer with its head trapped in a plastic tub and another deer that had a Halloween ghost completely covering its head.

She encouraged residents to be wary of what they leave out in their yard.

“Things you can do around your office, or your home, is keep a clean, maintained yard … hanging yard decorations high, if and when you can, and by that I mean Christmas lights, Halloween decorations, hammocks … if you can hang them high, that’s best, if you can bring them in for the afternoons and evenings, even better,” Perraglio said.

If someone sees an animal trapped like this, she encouraged contacting NMG&F, but the best response is to remove any risks to the animals.

“The reason why we want to try to prevent things like this is anytime we (NMG&F) have to come in and dart an animal, it’s not a guarantee that the animal is going to handle the drugs well,” she said. “Doing what we can to remove things from our yards always helps.”

Other measures such as electric fences and motion-detected lights can also help with deterring bears and deer, she said. Speaking of bears, there are other things to consider with these animals. Perraglio described black bears as being “opportunistic in the calories they are intaking” so they will eat anything.

As a result, she recommended taking out garbage the day of pickup, cleaning roll carts or spraying them with ammonia, cleaning grills and smokers after use, removing any outdoor freezers or fridges, picking up fallen fruit from trees and securing livestock such as chickens.

So, what should a person do if they encounter a bear? If they appear to be threatening or doing something threatening, then Perraglio said to contact NMG&F.

Cougars were the final animal she spoke about during her presentation. If one is encountered, don’t run. Perraglio advised to back away slowly, raise hands above the head and talk in loud voice.

“So, you want to look bigger and louder than they are,” Perraglio said.

Bear spray does work on mountain lions, she added.

People need to be mindful of pets; they shouldn’t allow dogs to go outside alone at night or sleep outside. Livestock should be secured in a safe enclosure. Perraglio said there have been cases of dogs, goats and sheep being killed by mountain lions.

If a mountain lion is spotted off in the distance, running to the woods, NMG&F does not need to be contacted. If one is spotted roaming through the streets in the middle of the day, Perraglio said then they should be contacted.

Here’s how to contact Game and Fish:

• Operation Game Thief (OGT): 1.800.432.4263
• NMDGF call center: 1.888.248.6866 (8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.)
• Area Offices will likely get through much quicker during the above-listed times. To reach the Albuquerque office, call 505.222.4700
• New Mexico State Police: 505.841.9256 (extension 1 – dispatch)
• Los Alamos Dispatch: 505.662.8222
• Emergency: 911