"An Unbelievable Sight... Still Alive": Wild Bear Climbs 7-Meter Utility Pole, Ultimately Electrocuted

Roadside Incident near a New Mexico Highway

Bear Attempts to Climb Down but is Electrocuted Due to Difficult Rescue Conditions

In New Mexico, USA, a wild black bear climbed to the top of a utility pole by the roadside, reaching a height of about 7 meters, but was ultimately electrocuted.

According to the New York Times (NYT) and other sources on July 24 (local time), the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish received a report at around 10 a.m. on July 21 that a bear had climbed onto a utility pole near Gladstone, New Mexico. Witnesses said they saw the bear panting and precariously hanging from the pole, prompting multiple calls to 911 and the Department of Game and Fish.

The image of a black bear climbing a utility pole. Screenshot from social networking service (SNS)

One of the callers, Shannon Mullens, said she was driving with her family on Highway 56, heading from Red River, New Mexico, toward Oklahoma. Mullens explained, "At first, I couldn't believe what I was seeing and turned back to check again," adding, "I thought the bear was already dead, but when I got closer, I realized it was still alive."

However, rescuing the bear was not easy. Authorities determined that using a sedative could cause the bear to fall from the high elevation and suffer serious injury or death. Therefore, they decided to wait for the bear to descend on its own before rescuers arrived. However, many onlookers reportedly stayed at the scene to take photos and videos. In the released footage, the bear can be seen panting while hanging from a 7-meter-high utility pole, clinging to a 7,200-volt high-voltage power line.

Ultimately, 1 hour and 30 minutes later, as the bear tried to descend, it came into contact with the high-voltage line and was electrocuted. By the time power company employees and the Union County sheriff arrived at the scene, the bear had already died from electrocution.

The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish stated, "We instructed the caller to leave the bear alone so it could descend on its own. We also asked the local operations center to advise citizens not to provoke or approach the bear," adding, "However, some people parked their cars around the utility pole and took photos and videos, causing the bear to remain at the top of the pole."

Experts explained, "It is highly likely that the bear climbed the utility pole instead of a tree because it was startled by people, vehicles, or other animals." As the bear's footage spread across social networking services (SNS), some have questioned whether the electricity could have been shut off or a rescue attempted more quickly, while the authorities have maintained that rescue was not feasible under the circumstances. This has become a point of controversy.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.