Bear helps self to refrigerator, entering New Mexico home multiple times

A family in Las Vegas, New Mexico, has faced repeated visits from a bear over the past several weeks, with the animal raiding their refrigerator and breaking a trap set by wildlife officials.

Christian Laumbach, who has lived in the area for nine years without encountering bears, described the aftermath of the first visit.

“So we came outside, and there was my entire contents of my freezer and dairy drawer all over the floor, consumed, half-eaten, melted,” Laumbach said.

Laumbach recorded the aftermath of the encounter – and saw the bear for herself during later run-ins.

After contacting the Nevada Department of Wildlife, Laumbach was provided with a bear trap. The bear was trapped outside her garage the following night, but it managed to break the cage and disappeared behind the garage, heading toward the mountains.

The bear returned the next night, this time entering through a window and raiding the refrigerator again.

“So I get up, and I pop my head out the door of the bedroom, and there is a bear standing with the middle drawer of my refrigerator open, eating cottage cheese,” Laumbach said.

She eventually herded the bear out of the house by making loud noises.

The bear was finally trapped on Tuesday and taken away by the Department of Wildlife. Laumbach reflected on the situation.

“The takeaway is that we live in their home. This is their home. We just live here. We’re passing through. They’re being pushed by the smoke, by the fires, by lack of territory and food,” she said.

The Department of Wildlife said the best way to avoid bear visits at home is by not leaving a food source outside.