Look: Michigan DNR rescues bear with lid around its neck

Yahoo

24-06-2025

June 24 (UPI) -- Wildlife biologists in Michigan were able to rescue a black bear seen wandering for two years with a plastic lid stuck around its neck.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources said state wildlife biologists in Montmorency County had been aware of the bear's predicament since it was first recorded by a trail camera in 2023, but they were unable to pinpoint the animal's location for long enough to launch a rescue operation until a Hillman resident's camera photographed the animal earlier this month.
Biologists set a live capture trap on the property and the bear was soon ensnared.
"It isn't known exactly where or how the male bear got its head stuck in a 5-inch hole in the lid," the DNR said in a news release. "The blue plastic lid is similar to those that fit 55-gallon drums used by hunters to bait bear and by landowners to store materials that can attract bears, such as chicken feed."
The DNR reminded residents that while bear-baiting is legal in the state, the containers are required to have holes no larger than 1 inch in diameter.
The bear had scarring and an abscess around its neck area, but was found to be otherwise healthy. It was released at the scene after recovering from anesthesia.