A young black bear in Hillman, Michigan, is finally free after living with a plastic lid stuck around its neck for two years.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) first spotted the cub in 2023, its head trapped in a 5-inch hole of a blue plastic lid, likely from a 55-gallon drum used for baiting.
On June 2, 2025, after a local resident reported the bear on a trail camera, DNR biologists set a trap, safely anesthetized the 110-pound bear, and removed the lid.
Despite scarring and an abscess on its neck, the bear was otherwise healthy and released back into the wild.
The DNR urges landowners to secure or crush containers, as openings of certain sizes can trap wildlife, causing injury or death.
Baiting rules require container holes to be 1 inch or less or 22 inches or greater.
Click on Detroit: Michigan bear had plastic lid stuck around neck for 2 years. Here’s how it got free
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