As reported by KYMA News 11, part of US Highway 191 was shut down after police were notified of a bear sighting. According to the TV station, one officer described the scene: “[The bear] was up on one pole, then came down and went up a second one nearby.”
The Arizona Game & Fish Department (AZGFD) in Tucson posted images of the bear on Twitter. The pictures show the seemingly-relaxed creature sitting on power lines, oblivious to the ground-level commotion it has caused.
KYMA News 11 said that AZGFD crew members waited at the scene, trying to figure out how to best remove the bear from the utility pole. As comfortable it appeared, the bear actually faced significant risk of electrocution. Power company employees accompanied the AZGFD crew and remained nearby. Luckily, however, no intervention from either group was necessary. The bear reportedly climbed down of its own accord before returning to its home in the wilderness.
A substantial crowd had gathered to watch the scene. But, according to an AZGFD tweet, the “two dozen onlookers scattered when the bear climbed down on its own.”
In response to the AZGFD photos, Twitter users joked about what may have motivated the bear to climb up the utility poles.
“I think the bear was fed up with high cable costs and wanted to cut the cord,” wrote one commenter.
“Maybe he was looking for someone and needed a better view,” said another.
Others wrote that the bear had climbed up to the power lines in order to get some much-needed “me time.”
While this particular animal was able to escape from a dangerous situation unscathed, another bear this weekend was not so fortunate. On Saturday, a 250-pound, 3-4 year-old bear in Colorado suffered critical injuries and had to be euthanized by a Colorado Parks and Wildlife rescue team after falling down a 40-foot waterfall.
