In the last few months, KUNM's Rita Daniels has visited one of the largest bat populations in North America, waded out into the Animas River with a biologist to collect bugs and met with children at country fairs who were bringing their goats to market.
A Bittersweet Farewell to Goats Olaf And Sven: Kids from Sandoval County have been raising animals in anticipation of the annual fair.
Abigail Suskey is 10-years-old and spent the last year bringing up two goats that she named Olaf and Sven. Read more...
Biologists: Animas River Fish And Bugs OK, So Far: Farmers and livestock owners are free to draw water from the San Juan and Animas rivers again after 3 million gallons of mine waste spilled into the watershed. No one knows what the long-term effects of the contamination will be on wildlife in the rivers, but biologists are tracking the spill’s impact. Read more...
Commission Expands Hunting Of Bears And Cougars: The State Game Commission approved several controversial new rules, including one that will allow hunters to kill 25 percent more bears in New Mexico. Wildlife conservation advocates are concerned about how the Game and Fish Department interpreted their bear density study.
Millions Of Bats Take To The Skies At Jornada Caves: During the summer months, southern New Mexico hosts one of the largest bat populations in North America. The Jornada Bat Caves, just west of White Sands Missile Range, are now becoming more accessible to the public.
The flying mammals are about the size of the palm of your hand with their webbed wings spread out. At dusk, they emerge from the caves to hunt for insects, taking to the air in what looks like a dark vibrating plume as tiny bats zoom through the air every which way.
State Rejects Wolf Proposal, Again: The future of the endangered Mexican gray wolf remains precarious in New Mexico. The state game commission denied a federal appeal to release wolves in New Mexico on Tuesday, Sept. 29.
The commission voted unanimously after little discussion to uphold a previous decision denying the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service a permit to release two adult wolves and up to ten pups into the wild in New Mexico.