A bear observed with its head stuck in a plastic container in Bayfield, Douglas and Sawyer counties of northern Wisconsin is now free, according to the state Department of Natural Resources.
The bear was freed over the weekend by U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services staff near Cable.
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.
Staff from USDA Wildlife Services set live traps, but the DNR said trapping efforts were unsuccessful due to the distance the bear was traveling each day.
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 residence and was able to dart the bear with an immobilization drug.
The approximately 70-pound, 2-year-old female bear was freed from the jar, examined and received two plastic ear tags for identification — as required by federal law when immobilization drugs are used on free-ranging wildlife.
She was relocated to a wooded area with ample food and water. She was alert when released and quickly began feeding on a patch of berries nearby, according to the news release.
“We do not know how long the jug was on the bear’s head, but it was a little skinny when captured,” Randy Johnson, DNR large-carnivore specialist, said in a statement. “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.”
Johnson said the bear was likely surviving on body fat reserves.
“A bear of that age and sex normally averages between 100-150 pounds this time of year,” he said.
Originally Published: August 5, 2025 at 10:36 AM CDT