A bizarre scene unfolded this week in New Mexico when a bear climbed to the top of a power pole and was spotted struggling to keep its balance high above the ground. The unusual sight quickly went viral, but the incident ended tragically when the animal was electrocuted before it could be rescued.
The bear was discovered near the town of Gladstone, about 270 kilometers (168 miles) east of Santa Fe. Shannon Mullens, who was traveling with her family on Highway 56 while driving from New Mexico to Oklahoma, noticed the animal in distress.
Bear trapped atop power pole dies in New Mexico
(Video: Social media)
“At first we couldn’t believe what we were seeing, so we turned around to look again,” Mullens told Storyful, according to reports by Fox News and the New York Post. “At first we thought the bear was dead, but when we got closer, we realized it was still alive.”
Video from the scene, verified by Storyful, captured a person calling emergency services and reporting: “I’m calling to report a bear that is on a light pole.”
The dispatcher said authorities had already received reports about the incident and that wildlife officials had been notified. However, rescuers warned that attempting to sedate the bear while it was still on the pole could cause it to fall from the height and die from the impact.
The bear on the power pole
(Photo: Social media)
Despite the efforts to save it, the bear did not survive. According to the New York Post, the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish said the animal was electrocuted before a safe rescue operation could be carried out.
The U.S. Department of the Interior also shared the video on X, adding a humorous caption: “We appreciate the enthusiasm for ‘American energy independence,’ but this is not what we meant.”
Wildlife experts said this was not the first time bears have climbed electrical poles. The animals, especially young bears or those frightened by humans, dogs or traffic, may mistake poles for trees and climb them as a way to escape danger.
A similar incident occurred in Arizona in 2021, when wildlife officials successfully rescued a bear that had climbed a power pole. This time, however, the unusual escape attempt ended in tragedy.