Bear electrocuted while awaiting rescue atop utility pole in New Mexico

A bear in rural New Mexico died after being electrocuted while stranded atop a utility pole, days after videos of the incident went viral on social media.

Wildlife officials had planned to rescue the bear, but it was electrocuted before they could reach it, according to Fox News.

The incident took place on 20 July near Gladstone, about 270 kilometres east of Santa Fe.

Footage showed the bear balancing on the crossarm of the utility pole, panting and struggling to keep its footing several metres above the ground.

The video, verified by Storyful, also captured a 911 caller reporting the incident.

"I'm calling to report a bear on top of a light pole," the caller told the emergency dispatcher.

The dispatcher responded that wildlife officials had already been notified but said tranquillising the bear while it remained on the pole could have caused it to fall.

The footage was recorded by Shannon Mullens, who said she and her family were travelling from Red River, New Mexico, to Oklahoma when they spotted what they initially thought was a dead bear.

"We really didn't believe what we saw at first, so we turned around to get another look," Mullens told Storyful, adding, "At first, we thought the bear was dead, but when we got closer, we realised it was still alive."

The report on Fox News also mentioned that the US Department of the Interior shared the video yesterday (23 July), joking on X: "We appreciate the enthusiasm for American Energy Dominance, but this isn't what we meant."

Wildlife experts say bears sometimes climb utility poles when startled by people, traffic or dogs, treating them much like trees in an attempt to escape danger.