A painful incident has come to light from New Mexico which has raised many questions on the relationship between humans and wild animals. A black bear climbed a tall electric pole and then got trapped there and lost his life. The video of this entire incident has gone viral on social media, seeing which people are both emotional and angry. Many people believe that if right steps were taken in time, perhaps the life of this voiceless animal could have been saved.
The incident is being reported near a deserted highway in New Mexico. A family passing by suddenly noticed an electric pole about 22 feet high on the roadside. He saw that a black bear was stuck on the top part of the pillar. 7,200 volt high-voltage electrical wires were passing very close to it. Due to the hot weather, fear and stress, the bear was panting continuously and it was clearly visible that he was extremely nervous.
Why did people get angry?
The family informed the 911 emergency service and the wildlife department about this without any delay. Some other people present nearby also stopped there and everyone was hopeful that a rescue team would arrive soon. But even after waiting for more than half an hour, no officer reached the spot. During this time the bear continued sitting on the pole and could not muster the courage to get down.
When people contacted the emergency number again, they were told that no team was being sent at present. Officials said that as soon as the bear feels safe, it will come down on its own. However, the situation did not change as expected. After some time, the electricity department and police team reached there, but by then it was too late. It was told that the bear had been electrocuted by high-voltage wires and its dead body was found lying on the ground.
After the incident, the New Mexico Wildlife Department also presented its side. The department said that people were repeatedly appealed to maintain distance from the bear and leave it alone so that it could come down without getting scared. But many people passing by stopped and started taking photos and videos. The bear became more scared due to the crowd, noise and constant presence of people. Experts believe that this is why he remained stuck on the pillar instead of coming down.
Experts say that young bears living in the forests of New Mexico often come out of the forest in search of new areas. Many times they accidentally reach near human settlements, roads or electrical structures, where the danger to them increases manifold.
After this incident came to light, sharp reactions of people are being seen on social media. Many users say that if the rescue team had reached on time, perhaps the bear’s life could have been saved. At the same time, some people have also criticized those who watched the show and made the video.
Watch the video here
911 operator: “911 what is your emergency?”
Caller: “I’m calling to report a bear on top of a light pole.” pic.twitter.com/8g07ibZupQ
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Tales of Badge & Blaze
(@ScottEnlow) July 21, 2026
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