A 250-pound bear was rescued after being stuck on its head by a plastic container for nearly a month. According to reports, the female bear wandered around Collier County, Florida with a container, but after two sightings, she disappeared for more than three weeks.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) worked with its bear biologists, law enforcement officials, and bear contractors to set traps and monitor the area, hoping to find the animal.
A FWC statement said: “In the end, the bear was found on the residents’ security cameras, still wearing a container on their heads.” “The staff set up new traps and began night patrols nearby. They finally arrived before midnight. Found this 250-pound female bear.”
The bear was rushed over, and a biologist removed the plastic container from her face. It is believed that the container is part of an automatic pet feeder. According to FWC, fortunately, the feeder has a hole near the end, allowing the bear to drink water within 28 days of being stuck on the head by the container.
FWC
The FWC statement said: “Even after 28 days of wearing, this bear is still in good physical condition.” “She did have a wound on her neck and face surrounding the feeder, but the staff cleaned the wound and treated it with antibiotics. She. After a day and a half of monitoring to ensure she was healthy and able to eat normally, the staff released the bear in a safe area in Picayun Strand State Forest.”
Florida Black bear Is a subspecies American Black BearThey are the only bear species in Florida and often live in forested wetlands and highlands, shrubland and natural pine forests. However, they were also found in swamps. There were an estimated 4,050 black bears in Florida in 2014/2015—a 53% increase from the number recorded in 2002.
They are often solitary animals, but they gather in places with a lot of food. These bears begin to prepare for the winter in the fall and need to consume approximately 20,000 calories a day. At this time, garbage provides bears with more calorie food faster than foraging in the woods.Residents living in areas where bears are found are advised to lock their trash cans avoid conflict.
In 2020, 332 bears were killed in Florida. The vast majority (270 people) were killed in road traffic accidents. Twenty people were killed for management purposes and 15 people were slaughtered illegally. Another 27 people died of unknown causes.
