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It was an ordinary afternoon in a quiet desert town when panic erupted. A young brown bear, no more than a few years old, had climbed a 40-foot power pole and was dangerously close to live electrical wires. Onlookers froze, unsure of what to do. Each second seemed heavier than the last. The bear clung desperately to the metal, terrified, its large brown eyes wide with fear. The hum of electricity was an invisible but deadly threat. Every wrong move could cost the animal its life.
Into this tense scene arrived Werner Neubauer, an experienced utility worker, and his apprentice Efren Gallego. For Werner, this was no ordinary job—it was a test of patience, empathy, and calmness under pressure. Lives—human and animal—depended on every careful movement.The first step was critical: cutting the power. High-voltage lines posed an immediate threat. Werner instructed Efren to shut off the electricity, and within moments, the deadly hum ceased. “Step one was to eliminate the immediate danger,” Werner later said. “Once we cut the power, we had time, but it had to be handled carefully. One wrong move could make everything worse.”
With the wires neutralized, Werner climbed into the bucket truck. His heart raced, but every motion was deliberate. The bear, tense and confused, clung to the pole. Werner spoke softly, his calm voice a lifeline. Slowly, cautiously, the bear seemed to recognize the non-threatening presence before it. At one point, it even covered its eyes with its paws, a poignant reminder of its vulnerability. Werner understood that rushing the rescue could trigger panic. Every movement had to convey trust, safety, and patience.
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