A bear spotted high atop a utility pole in rural New Mexico drew widespread attention online this week after video of the strange scene went viral. The animal reportedly died later following the unusual incident.
The footage was captured Monday near Gladstone, New Mexico, about 170 miles east of Santa Fe. In the video, the bear can be seen clinging to the pole’s crossarm, panting and shifting as it struggles to keep its balance far above the ground.
The U.S. Department of the Interior posted the clip Wednesday with a tongue-in-cheek caption: “We appreciate the enthusiasm for American Energy Dominance, but this isn’t what we meant.”
A bear is seen perched on a utility pole near Gladstone, N.M., after climbing the structure during a bizarre moment caught on camera. (Shannon Mullens via Storyful)
The Department of the Interior and the New Mexico Department of Wildlife did not immediately reply to INC News’s requests for comment.
The video, which was verified by Storyful, also features audio from a 911 call made by someone reporting the startling sight.
“I’m calling to report a bear on top of a light pole,” the caller is heard telling the dispatcher.
A bear balances on a utility pole near Gladstone, N.M., in footage recorded by a passing motorist before the encounter gained traction across social media. (Shannon Mullens via Storyful)
READ MORE: Hidden Details You Probably Missed in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey
The dispatcher responded that state officials had already been notified but said tranquilizing the animal while it remained atop the pole could have caused it to fall.
Shannon Mullens, who recorded the video, told Storyful she was traveling from Red River, New Mexico, to Oklahoma on Highway 56 when she and her family spotted what they initially believed was a dead bear.
“We really didn’t believe what we saw at first, so we turned around to get another look,” Mullens said.
The bear hangs from the crossarm of a utility pole in rural New Mexico during the unusual incident that later drew widespread attention online. (Shannon Mullens via Storyful)
“At first, we thought that the bear was dead, until we got closer to it, and then we realized that he was still alive.”
The bear was electrocuted and died before wildlife officials could safely rescue it, the New York Post reported.
Wildlife experts say bears can climb utility poles after becoming startled by people, traffic or dogs, treating them much like trees while trying to escape danger.
A similar incident ended differently in Arizona in 2021, when wildlife officials safely rescued a bear that had climbed a utility pole.
