KIRKWOOD, NY (RNN/CNN) – Environmental officials in New York freed a black bear from a plastic bucket, which was stuck on its head for weeks.
A concerned citizen called the New York Department of Environmental Conservation on April 24 to report a bear in her yard with a bucket stuck on its head, the department said on Facebook.
More calls poured in later that day from people in Kirkwood, NY, who also claimed to have seen the bear.
Experts placed bear traps but didn’t manage to catch the “Bucket Head” bear within the span of three weeks.
Calls continued to come in reporting sights of the bear.
Finally, on May 19, a resident called and said the “Bucket Head” bear was in their backyard. By the time experts arrived, the bear was gone, but over the next six hours, they tracked the bear down.
The “Bucket Head” bear was successfully tranquilized, and the “bucket,” a plastic food container similar to those used to hold bulk pretzels or cheese puffs, was removed.
The Kirkwood, NY #bear seen with a plastic jug on its head is now jug free thanks to our ECOs and wildlife staff: https://t.co/e5JXPyrhMI pic.twitter.com/zjlRz3a1Gj
— NYSDEC (@NYSDEC) May 25, 2017
Experts carried the bear out of the woods and let it recover. They released it the next day.
Environmental officials hope the incident reminds residents of the importance of securing food and containers that smell like food, including trash cans, in order to keep bears safe.
Copyright 2017 Raycom News Network. CNN contributed to this report.
