On the heels of high-profile coyote and prairie dog killing contests, a coalition of conservation groups has sent the New Mexico Tourism Department a suggested list of possible new nicknames for the state.
Among the favorite monikers the groups say were suggested in a two-week online survey: "Land of Entrapment," ''The Thrill-Kill State," and "New Mexico: We'll Blow You Away!"
The groups sent a letter to the New Mexico Tourism Department asking it, as protector and promoter of New Mexico's image, to support future legislation to ban cruel treatment of wildlife and ensure that the state lives up to its current nickname, "Land of Enchantment."
Taylor Jones, Endangered Species Advocate for WildEarth Guardians, says the more than 1,500 respondents "agreed that killing contests and leg hold traps all over public lands aren't 'enchanting.'"
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