This article appeared in the Spring 1997 issue of New Mexico Resources. Image courtesy of New Mexico Department of Game and Fish Working on the 'inside,' I can imagine few more challenging careers than managing New Mexico's wildlife in today's complex environment. Evidence abounds that people hold a strong interest in wild animals - savvy advertisers spend millions tapping that emotion. Ads feature wildlife from bears to bullfrogs.
Some people tie their emotional well-being to the presence of wild animals.
Others couple aesthetics with pragmatic interests including food and money. At a further extreme are those dismissing wildlife as a nuisance to be displaced. Pragmatically, wildlife does mean money and jobs. More than 166,000 adult New Mexicans spend that money to pursue their interest, or interests, since many pursue more than one venue, and clear distinctions are rare. Just as rare is consensus among these many individuals and groups on how their treasured resource should be managed.