Melissa Wright | KOB
Published: July 22, 2026 - 10:13 AM
RIO RANCHO, N.M. – Rio Rancho residents woke up on Wednesday to find a bear roaming through the Enchanted Hills neighborhood.
Videos shared with KOB 4 show a bear walking through alleys, exploring yards and performing balancing acts along property walls.
The bear was also spotted at an apartment complex near Safelite and Highway 550.
A trend of recent sightings
The recent bear sightings in Rio Rancho are the latest in what has become a trend of bears roaming closer to homes and around the Albuquerque metro area.
Last week, a bear was spotted repeatedly stalking a home in Tijeras.
Closer to Rio Rancho, a bear was spotted in May roaming near the Cottonwood Mall area and the Paradise Hills Golf Course. It is unclear if that bear was ever captured.
What is bringing bears closer to homes?
The New Mexico Department of Wildlife said abnormally dry conditions this spring and summer left bears with fewer food and water sources at higher elevations, so they are moving into neighborhoods.
Darren Vaughan, with the Department of Wildlife, said bear sightings are less common in places like Rio Rancho. That can be a problem since there are fewer bear-proof trash cans can make it easier for bears to find food.
“There’s not a lot of bear-proof garbage cans or anything like that,” Vaughan said. “A garbage can can be like an all-you-can-eat buffet.”
A 13-year-old boy, Mateo Nayak, said he first thought he saw a brown fluffy poodle during his morning jog before he realized it was a bear.
“When I saw it look my way, it caught my eye for a second there,” Nayak said.
Nayak said he ducked behind a parked car and waited after he realized it was a bear.
“Then it just decided to keep on walking, so it just kept walking down the street,” Nayak said.
Nayak said he ran home after the bear was gone, but the encounter scared him but also made him want to learn how to handle a wildlife encounter safely if it happens again.
What can residents do?
The Department of Wildlife said bears are looking for food and water right now. The agency recommends keeping trash cans inside the garage until the morning of pickup, cleaning grills after every use, securing them when possible, bringing pet food inside and picking up ripe or rotten fruit from trees and the ground.
As of 6 p.m, there has been no word of the bear being caught.