A bear was found dead after reportedly suffering fatal electrocution atop a utility pole in rural New Mexico, state wildlife officials said. The unusual encounter was captured on video on Monday, July 20, 2026, near Gladstone, New Mexico, a town approximately 170 miles east of Santa Fe.
The video footage shows the bear struggling to maintain its balance while perched high on the crossarm of the utility pole, panting.
A 911 caller reported the sighting to dispatchers, who indicated that state officials were already aware of the situation. According to the dispatcher, tranquilizing the animal while it was atop the pole could have resulted in a fall.
Shannon Mullens, who recorded the video while traveling between Red River, New Mexico, and Oklahoma on Highway 56, told Storyful that she and her family initially mistook the animal for a dead bear. Upon closer inspection, they realized it was alive.
Wildlife experts suggest that bears may climb utility poles when startled by people, traffic, or dogs, seeking to escape perceived danger in a manner similar to climbing trees. In a different incident in Arizona in 2021, wildlife officials successfully rescued a bear that had climbed a utility pole.