Bear with plastic jar on its head freed in northern Wisconsin

MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources announced on Monday that a bear observed with its head stuck in a jar in Bayfield, Douglas and Sawyer counties was successfully freed this past weekend by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Wildlife Services staff near Cable, Wis.

The DNR partners with USDA Wildlife Services to respond to a variety of wildlife-related agricultural and residential damage or nuisance situations, including unique situations like this.

The DNR and USDA Wildlife Services staff first learned of a bear with a plastic jar stuck on its head in north central Sawyer County on Saturday, July 26. Since the bear was first observed, it moved nearly 50 miles and was reported multiple times across northern Sawyer County and southern Bayfield and Douglas counties.

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Staff from USDA Wildlife Services set several live traps for the bear based on reported sightings, but these efforts were ultimately unsuccessful due to the distance the bear was traveling each day.

After over a week of monitoring and trapping efforts, several public reports of the bear over the weekend (Aug. 2-3) indicated it was likely returning to the area where it was first witnessed.

On Sunday, Aug. 3, a trained wildlife professional responded to a timely report of the bear at a private residence and was able to safely dart the bear with an immobilization drug.

Once the bear was sedated, USDA Wildlife Services staff were able to cut off the jug and examine the bear for injuries.

No lacerations or additional injuries were noted, and the approximately 70-pound, 2-year-old sow (female bear) was relocated to a safe, wooded area with ample food and water to allow the bear to recover.

The bear was alert when released and quickly began feeding on a patch of berries nearby. Natural food is abundant in northern Wisconsin at this time of year, and the bear’s best chance of survival is in the wild, feeding on naturally occurring food sources.

“We do not know how long the jug was on the bear’s head, but it was a little skinny when captured. There were punctures in the jug – likely from the bear’s claws – and a public observation indicated that it was able to drink by dunking its head in water,” said Randy Johnson, DNR large carnivore specialist. “The bear was likely surviving on body fat reserves (which can be significant on bears by midsummer). A bear of that age and sex normally averages between 100-150 pounds this time of year.”

The bear received two plastic ear tags for identification, consistent with federal law regarding the administration of immobilization drugs in free-ranging wildlife.

The DNR and USDA Wildlife Services thank the public for reporting the bear as it moved across the landscape, citing these timely reports as critical to the success of this effort.