"Unable to Eat for Days": Bear with Head Stuck in Plastic Container Rescued

Rescued After a Week... Returned to the Wild

A bear that had wandered for about a week with its head stuck in a plastic container was finally rescued and regained its freedom.

According to the New York Post on August 7 (local time), the female bear, estimated to be two years old, was first spotted on July 26. After that, the bear traveled at least 80 kilometers before being rescued and was sighted throughout Bayfield and Douglas counties.

A bear without a plastic container. USDA Wildlife Service

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) explained that when the bear was rescued, its head was encased in a hard plastic container, which made it difficult for the bear to eat properly or even breathe. The DNR and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Wildlife Service set up live traps in various locations and tracked the bear, but their attempts to capture it repeatedly failed because the bear moved dozens of kilometers each day.

Then, on August 2, several new reports came in from near the area where the bear was first seen. On August 3 in the afternoon, the rescue team found the bear near a residential home, administered a tranquilizer, and finally succeeded in rescuing it.

Randy Johnson, a large carnivore specialist at the DNR, said that although the bear likely could not eat properly, it probably survived thanks to fat reserves in its body. He explained that at this time of year, bears need to build up their bodies in preparation for winter, so they can have a significant amount of stored fat.

Rescued After a Week... Returned to the Wild

The rescued bear was a female weighing about 31 kilograms. Experts said she was somewhat thinner than the average weight (45 to 65 kilograms) of other bears of similar age. Fortunately, no injuries were found. However, the plastic container showed evidence of the bear's attempts to escape, with claw marks visible. Experts also added that the bear may have been able to submerge its head in water to drink even while trapped in the container.

After being rescued, the bear was immediately fitted with an identification tag and released into a forest with ample food and water. It was reported that the bear began eating wild berries as soon as it returned to nature.