Just how did this happen?

[anon]

[piratemeister]

I think he was trying to suicide.

[slikrapid]

what do you mean how?
unless its a fake, he climbed up there - it is rare, but physically possible, his limbs only needed to perform certain moves to get his body up there (necessary), while having the adequate mental images that go with the experience (optional) and voila - the same applies to the photographer, who needed to be in the right place at the right time to record the event, the same applies to you finding and posting the image/meme here on sbi and to us, noticing it and replying

we could also speak of all these events being karmically conditioned (causal relationship) or the (divine) source thereof, as the most complete answer to this or any other (similar) question

and there is a possibility you were thinking of something completely different when creating the post

[alpacino]

Now that's something we don't see everyday, wish I knew how that happened. It obviously climbed that pole somehow, maybe overnight when there was no one seeing it.

[anon]

we could also speak of all these events being karmically conditioned (causal relationship) or the (divine) source thereof, as the most complete answer to this or any other (similar) question

I'll settle for a materialistic answer

Climbing is the most likely explanation, yes - although I didn't know bears are such good climbers, and I still don't know what he was looking for up there.

[slikrapid]

wish I knew how that happened...
...and I still don't know what he was looking for up there.

it shouldn't be much different than what happens when humans do unusual things (intentionally/unintentionally/knowingly/unknowingly), involving confusion, lack of remembrance, inability to explain it,... - after all, bears are conscious beings as well

how did he get the idea? how do you get an idea? much of our bodily activities pass unnoticed even while paying attention, not to mention when experiencing unusual conditions (panic/fear, daydreaming, sleepwalking, trance,...)

it wouldn't be wrong to say that one of the reasons is to, believe it or not, pose for the photo/meme (without him or the photographer being aware of it)

although I didn't know bears are such good climbers,

as mentioned before: as long as it is physically possible, it can be done even by the least likely of climbers, but it will likewise be a rare event

[Sazzy]

If I was a bear, that would be me