The Brief
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- A black bear that has been living with a lid stuck on his neck for two years is finally free.
- The DNR was able to trap the bear and cut off the lid after a property owner in northern Michigan spotted the bear on a trail cam.
- This incident is an example of why following bating rules and destroying unused containers with large holes is important.
MONTMORENCY COUNTY, Mich. (FOX 2) – Two years after a black bear was first spotted with a lid stuck on its head, it was finally removed.
Biologists with the Department of Natural Resources field off in northern Michigan’s Montmorency County became aware of the animal’s predicament after trail cameras captured photos of the then-cub in 2023.
The backstory:
Over the next two years, the bear would sometimes appear on trail cameras before disappearing in a day or two, the DNR said. The bear eluded people until late May of this year when a Hillman resident saw the bear on his trail camera and alerted the DNR.
The landowner allowed the DNR to set up a baited enclosure trap, and the young male bear was captured on June 2. Biologists put the animal under anesthesia and cut the lid off of his neck.
(Left photo) DNR staffers, from left, Angela Kujawa, Sherry Raifsnider and Miranda VanCleave work to remove a lid from an immobilized black bear. The bear had gotten its head stuck in one of two holes in the plastic lid. (Right photo) The black bear
According to the DNR, the bear had significant scarring and an abscess on its neck, but otherwise appeared healthy. After the anesthesia wore off, he was released back onto the property.
Why you should care:
The DNR said it is not clear where the lid that was stuck on the bear came from, but said it resembles a lid from a 55-gallon drum that hunters use to bait bears. Similar drums are sometimes used to store items that can attract bears, too, such as chicken feed.
Though baiting bears is legal on private land, this incident is an example of why following bating rules and destroying unused containers with large holes is important. According to the DNR, containers used to bait bears can only have holes that are either 1 inch or less in diameter or 22 inches or greater in diameter.
A DNR drone photo of the black bear after the lid was removed from its neck.
Residents can help prevent bears from getting stuck by crushing containers, such as cheese ball containers, that an animal could stick its head into.
“Container openings of a certain size can result in bears and other wildlife getting their heads or other body parts stuck in them, leading to injury or death,” said Cody Norton, the DNR’s bear, furbearer and small game specialist. “It’s important to remember that the opening diameter is more important than the size of the container.”
Find more tips for safely coexisting with bears here.
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