Plastic lid finally removed from bear's neck after 2 years

Mama bear and her cubs scratch an itch

A trail cam caught this bear family scratching their backs against trees in a Maine forest.

Michigan wildlife experts were finally able to remove a plastic lid that had been stuck around the neck of a young black bear – for two years. 

Images were released by Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and showed the bear with the lid on its neck. Other images show DNR staff with the immobilized bear after it was captured on June 2, the extensive scarring on its neck, and the bear after the lid was removed.

Biologists remove lid stuck around bear’s neck

What they're saying:

"It’s pretty incredible that the bear survived and was able to feed itself," state bear specialist Cody Norton told The Associated Press on Wednesday. "The neck was scarred and missing hair, but the bear was in much better condition than we expected it to be."

Officials also said it was unclear how the bear got his head stuck in the "5-inch hole in the lid." 

Images were released by Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR). (Credit: Michigan DNR via Storyful)

"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," DNR said. The bear weighed 110 pounds, which is fairly typical for a 2-year-old.

Angela Kujawa, a wildlife biologist who was at the scene, said she wondered about the bear's ability to climb trees with the uncomfortable accessory.

The lid caused scarring but the bear was in better health than expected. (Credit: Michigan DNR via Storyful)

"And he probably laid more on his back or side when he was resting," she said.

Bear turns up on trail camera

The backstory:

The bear first turned up on a trail camera as a cub in 2023 in the northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan. After that, the DNR was on the lookout for the animal with a hard plastic lid around the neck.

The bear first turned up on a trail camera as a cub in 2023 in the northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan. (Credit: Michigan DNR via Storyful)

"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," Norton explained.

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The bear appeared again on a camera in late May, still wearing the barrel lid, and the DNR responded by setting a cylindrical trap and safely luring him inside. The bear was immobilized with an injection and the lid was cut off in minutes on June 3. The bear eventually woke up and rambled away.