Linemen Save Bear Cub Who Climbed High-Voltage Utility Pole Duration: 01:13 A bear cub was filmed nimbly climbing down a utility pole in Wilcox, Arizona, on June 7, after power line workers noticed it was resting near high-voltage lines. Footage shot by apprentice lineman Efren Gallego Jr shows the power line foreman encouraging the bear to climb down. The animal was uninjured, Gallego said. Speaking to Storyful, Gallego said that the bear was likely spooked up the utility pole because it was near a high-traffic area. The crew cut off power to the lines for 15 minutes to help the lone bear down to safety. “Quick thinking and teamwork helped to remove the bear from a dangerous place and restore power to nearby homes,” Gallego said. Credit: Efren Gallego Jr. via Storyful
SEE IT: Bear climbs utility pole in Arizona, causing power outage
It caused one bear of a problem.
A small bear climbed a utility pole in southern Arizona, forcing the local power company to shut off electricity until the beast climbed down.
Warner Newbauer and Efren Gallego
of the Sulphur Spring Valley Electric Co-op coaxing a young bear off a utility pole in Willcox yesterday.
They cut power to the pole before going up in their boom truck basket. The bear, likely startled up the pole, then moved off uninjured. pic.twitter.com/BIjetTHsja AZ Game & Fish Dept (@azgfdTucson) June 8, 2021