A black bear, seen here when younger on a trail camera, was first documented in 2023. After two long years, rescuers have finally freed the creature from a barrel lid that had formed an impenetrable collar around its neck. In late May, another Michigander again sighted the bear of northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan. It was still laboring under the huge lid that had turned into an inescapable part of its existence.
On June 3, state wildlife experts from Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) were able to trap the bear. They invented a safe cylindrical trap to lure the animal inside and keep it unharmed. When caught, they anesthetized the bear to take out the lid and check on its health.
The 110 lb (49.9 kg) bear showed amazing physical stamina and psychological tenacity during her harrowing experience. Even though the fit of the barrel lid was quite painful on him, this bear was still able to ward off injury and starvation over this two-year span. The incident raised public alarm over bear baiting methods across the state of Michigan. The underlying regulation states that holes on barrel lids employed for baiting must be of sufficient size to preclude such events.
This state bear specialist was amazed that the bear was able to survive in such circumstances.
“It’s pretty incredible that the bear survived and was able to feed itself,” – Cody Norton.
Norton further noted, “We were pleasantly surprised. It was still able to make a living like a pretty typical bear.”
Bear baiting is not only legal in Michigan, it’s a widely accepted practice. Through the consultation, we hope to spotlight the dangers wildlife faces in America’s cities and suburbs. The DNR’s successful intervention emphasizes the need for close wildlife monitoring and timely mitigation of issues that stem from human disturbance.