Watch daring rescue of bobcat stuck atop electric pole for two days in New Mexico

A bobcat was stuck for two days on top of an electrical pole in New Mexico until a tense and daring rescue, which was captured on video.

Residents in Doña Ana County spotted the bobcat trapped in the “precarious location” near electrical wires earlier this week, officials say.

“The county recognized that this situation was an ongoing public safety concern,” Doña Ana County Manager Fernando Macias said in a news release. “The bobcat did not seem interested in leaving its perch or was too scared to do so.”

On Tuesday, El Paso Electric halted power to the area while state wildlife officials and the county raised a bucket truck to the bobcat.

A rescuer reached out a pole with a loop and snagged the cat, which flailed violently in mid-air as it was lowered into a cage.

“The operation went well, especially considering how quickly it came together,” Sgt. Chris Ortega of New Mexico Department of Game and Fish said in the news release.

Ortega released the bobcat into the Gila National Forest on Wednesday, where “the bobcat’s future consists of abundant food sources and vast rugged terrain to relish.”

This story was originally published April 29, 2021 at 2:49 PM with the headline "Watch daring rescue of bobcat stuck atop electric pole for two days in New Mexico."