GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Wildlife specialists with the Michigan Division of Pure Sources lately stepped in to assist a black bear that had a container lid caught round its neck for 2 years.
The DNR has recognized concerning the bear for a while now. The company’s area workplace in Montmorency County obtained suggestions and path digital camera photographs of the younger bear again in 2023.
“The bear would prove elusive over the next two years, occasionally appearing on other trail camera photos but then disappearing after a day or so,” the DNR mentioned in a information launch.
Path footage from Hillman on Could 25, 2025, confirmed the bear nonetheless had the container lid caught round his neck practically two years later. (Courtesy Michigan DNR)
In late Could, the DNR was contacted once more by a home-owner in Hillman who noticed the bear on their path cameras.
“With the landowner’s permission, state biologists set up a baited enclosure trap and caught the animal safely on June 2. After anesthetizing the bear, they cut the lid off its neck and collected body measurements and other data,” the DNR said.
The excellent news is the bear weighed 110 kilos, which is taken into account a wholesome weight for a 2-year-old bear. It did, nevertheless, have notable scarring and an abscess on its neck. The bear was allowed to roam free as soon as the anesthesia wore off.
A photograph exhibits notable scarring and lack of fur across the bear’s neck. (Courtesy Michigan DNR)
An aerial photograph exhibits the bear awake and conscious after DNR biologists trapped, anesthetized and efficiently eliminated the container lid from the bear’s neck. (Courtesy Michigan DNR)
Cody Norton, a bear/furbearer/small sport specialist with the DNR, mentioned the incident is a reminder for folks to observe the state’s bear baiting rules. Norton says they don’t know the place the lid got here from, however it’s just like 55-gallon drums that hunters use to bait bears or retailer different supplies that appeal to bears, like hen feed.
Bear baiting is authorized in Michigan, however bait containers can solely be used on non-public land and holes should both be lower than an inch or greater than 22 inches in diameter.
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“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 said. “It’s important to remember that the opening diameter is more important than the size of the container.”
Michigan is residence to an estimated 13,000 black bears, principally within the Higher Peninsula. An estimated 1,700 black bears reside within the northern Decrease Peninsula.
