A rural homeowner in southern New Mexico shot and killed a mother bear after it attacked his two dogs.
The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish says the incident happened Thursday in Cloudcroft and the bear's two cubs are now in the care of a veterinarian.
The agency says the man's wife discovered the cubs on the patio and then the mother bear showed up.
The woman fled into the house but the dogs slipped out an open door.
Game and Fish Conservation Officer Marcelino Peralta says the woman tried to scare the animal off.
The husband then pulled out a .22 caliber pistol and fired a single shot at the bear.
The animal was found dead 40 yards away.
Peralta says the home is bordered by forest land.
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