Moment terrified bear clings to top of 35ft telephone pole before suffering gruesome fate

See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source Published: 10:16 EDT, 23 July 2026 | Updated: 10:16 EDT, 23 July 2026 The heartbreaking discovery of a bear clinging to the top of a 35-foot telephone pole ended in tragedy.Shannon Mullens was driving from New Mexico to Oklahoma on Monday when she spotted the stranded animal near Clayton, New Mexico.Footage showed the bear balancing precariously on the pole's crossarm, panting as it struggled to keep its footing.'We really didn't believe what we saw at first, so we turned around to get another look,' Mullens told 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.'During a frantic 911 call captured in the video, an operator told the concerned witness to 'just leave it be.''I've already called Game and Fish, and they said there's nothing that they can do,' the operator explained. 'They could go and shoot it and tranquilize it to get it down, but if they do that, then it's gonna fall and hurt itself.'The ordeal ultimately ended in horror when the bear was electrocuted and died before wildlife officials could rescue it. Shannon Mullens was driving from New Mexico to Oklahoma on Monday when she spotted the stranded animal near Clayton, New MexicoWildlife specialists explained that frightened bears, particularly younger animals, may instinctively climb utility poles for safety after being startled by vehicles, humans or dogs.Another witness who filmed the bear and contacted authorities later claimed the animal was electrocuted after wildlife officials 'refused to come out.' Animal advocacy group World Animal News criticized the response, arguing that officials should have made greater efforts to rescue the bear.'The heartbreaking incident has renewed discussion about how wildlife emergencies involving animals in immediate, life-threatening situations should be handled,' the agency said.'Every wildlife emergency deserves prompt attention, careful assessment, and, whenever possible, every reasonable effort to help animals in distress and give them the best possible chance of survival.'May this precious soul rest in peace. We must do better for wildlife in crisis.'In a statement to Storyful, a spokesman for the New Mexico Department of Wildlife confirmed the bear's death and suggested it was caused by members of the public who had stopped 'to film and take pictures of the bear.''The reporting party was instructed to leave the bear alone so it could come down on its own and local dispatch was asked to instruct concerned citizens to leave the bear alone; however, some members of the public continued to stop next to the power pole to film and take pictures of the bear, so the bear remained at the top of the pole,' they wrote. Footage showed the bear balancing precariously on the pole's crossarm, panting as it struggled to keep its footing Another witness who filmed the bear and contacted authorities later claimed the animal was electrocuted after wildlife officials 'refused to come out.''A Union County sheriff's deputy, the power company and Department conservation officers were notified. Unfortunately, the bear sustained fatal injuries before they arrived,' the spokesman added.A similar incident happened last year in Arizona, when another bear had climbed atop a telephone pole. Lineman Werner J Neubauer was called to the scene in Cochise County and quickly went to work de-energizing the equipment and deployed a fiberglass stick to get her to climb down.The bear initially refused to budge despite Neubauer’s efforts to guide her down, but eventually climbed safely back to the ground.