Dead black bear caught in power line near Dettah

Drivers leaving Dettah, N.W.T., this morning may have passed a distressing scene — a dead black bear hanging from a power line outside the community.

The bear was shot after climbing a power pole and became entangled in a wire loop, Mike Westwick, spokesperson for the territorial department of Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) said in an email Tuesday morning.

ENR officials didn't shoot the bear, said Westwick. It's unclear who did.

Officials are unsure of the timeline of events, said Westwick, but they believe the bear was dead when it got caught in the wire.

Andrea Fowler saw the bear hanging from the wire on her way to work Tuesday morning, and took a photo.

"It was very sad to see," she said in Facebook message.

The bear was reported early this morning, and ENR worked with the Northwest Territories Power Corporation to bring it down before 11 a.m.

Westwick said the meat and hide will be handed over to Yellowknives Dene First Nation members.