An unexpected sight of a bear scaling a utility pole in rural New Mexico captivated online audiences this week, though the adventurous animal reportedly met an unfortunate fate following the peculiar event.
Captured on Monday near Gladstone, New Mexico, about 170 miles east of Santa Fe, the footage portrays the bear precariously clinging to the crossarm of a utility pole. The animal, appearing visibly stressed, was seen panting as it struggled to maintain its position high above the ground.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of the Interior shared the video with a touch of humor, commenting, “We appreciate the enthusiasm for American Energy Dominance, but this isn’t what we meant.”
A bear perches atop a utility pole near Gladstone, New Mexico, climbing the structure in a bewildering incident documented in the viral video. (Shannon Mullens via Storyful)
Neither the Department of the Interior nor the New Mexico Department of Wildlife has yet responded to News Media’s inquiries regarding the incident.
The footage, verified by Storyful, also includes audio from a 911 caller reporting the unusual sight.
“I’m calling to report a bear on top of a light pole,” the caller tells the dispatcher.
A bear balances atop a utility pole near Gladstone, New Mexico, in video captured by a passing motorist before the unusual encounter drew widespread attention online. (Shannon Mullens via Storyful)
The dispatcher responds 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.