This might be the first time you have seen a bear do this.
A video that has gone viral on both Facebook and X shows a bear stuck on top of a utility pole in New Mexico.
In the video the bear can be seen panting on top of the utility pole and appears to not be able to make its way down from the pole.
Take a look:
Fox News was one of the first outlets to confirm the video was in fact real:
A bear that climbed to the top of a utility pole in rural New Mexico became the subject of a viral video this week before reportedly later dying after the unusual encounter.
The video, recorded Monday near Gladstone, New Mexico, roughly 170 miles east of Santa Fe, shows the bear precariously perched on the crossarm of the utility pole while panting and trying to maintain its balance high above the ground.
The U.S. Department of the Interior shared the video Wednesday, joking, “We appreciate the enthusiasm for American Energy Dominance, but this isn’t what we meant.”
The Department of the Interior and the New Mexico Department of Wildlife did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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 a dispatcher.
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.
ADVERTISEMENT“We really didn’t believe what we saw at first, so we turned around to get another look,” Mullens said.
We appreciate the enthusiasm for American Energy Dominance, but this isn't what we meant. https://t.co/FpfmUn6PYh
— US Department of the Interior (@Interior) July 22, 2026
The New York Post reported the bear ended up dying:
The New Mexico Department of Fish and Wildlife informed The Post that despite the best efforts of local authorities, the animal was fatally electrocuted before it could have been helped.
The head-scratching scenario has happened before — including in 2021, when another bear got stuck atop a utility pole in Arizona but was safely rescued.
Wildlife experts believe the odd occurrence happens when a bear — especially a young or startled one — is spooked by people, traffic, or dogs, and scales the utility pole exactly like they would a tall tree.
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