In a show of successful collaboration between wildlife agencies, a young bear in Northern Wisconsin was relieved of a cumbersome plastic jar that had been stuck on its head. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), in partnership with USDA Wildlife Services, announced the bear's liberation happened near Cable, Wis., as stated on the DNR's official news release dated yesterday, August 4.
Having moved nearly 50 miles while evading capture, the bear's misadventure came to an end after traversing parts of Bayfield, Douglas, and Sawyer counties. Efforts to trap the unfortunate animal proved ineffective initially, due to the large distances it was covering daily. With persistent sightings reported by the public, the bear seemed to have made a full circle back to the area where its plight began.
According to the Wisconsin DNR's release, a break came on Sunday, Aug. 3, when a trained wildlife professional managed to immobilize the bear at a private residence using a sedative dart. The story sheds light on the bear's ordeal, noting that it was a "little skinny when captured" and had managed to survive possibly by using body fat reserves and drinking water by dunking its head into it with the jug punctured by its claws.
The bear, an approximately 70-pound, 2-year-old sow, was found to be in good health otherwise, escaping the incident without lacerations or other injuries. Randy Johnson, DNR large carnivore specialist, explained the bear's condition stating, "The bear was likely surviving on body fat reserves (which can be significant on bears by midsummer)," as mentioned on the Wisconsin DNR release. The bear, according to Johnson, would normally weigh between 100-150 pounds at that age and sex during this time of year. After freeing the bear, it was tagged per federal regulations concerning sedated wildlife and released into a habitat rich with natural food sources.
It is the public's watchfulness and timely reports that led to the successful rescue of the bear, as the DNR and USDA Wildlife Services staff were able to act promptly due to these critical observations. The young bear, quickly recovering, was seen taking advantage of the northern Wisconsin summer bounty, indulging in a patch of berries soon after its release.
