Michigan Bear Wears Plastic Lid: It’s a story that speaks to the heart of the relationship between Man and Nature, a story of struggle, resilience, and a long-overdue moment of grace. For two years, a young black bear, a grandson of Michigan’s deep forests, roamed his ancestral lands in Montmorency County carrying a heavy burden—a hard plastic lid stuck tight around his neck. This wasn’t a piece of his world; it was a piece of ours, a thoughtless remnant that became a two-year sentence of suffering. But now, a Michigan black bear is finally free after enduring a plastic lid stuck around its neck for an estimated two years, and his journey has something to teach us all.
This isn’t just a news headline, folks. For those of us who walk the old paths and listen to the wisdom of the land, this story is a powerful reminder of our sacred duty to our wild relatives. The bear, or makwa as my Anishinaabe grandmother would call him, is a being of immense strength, courage, and wisdom in our traditions. He is a healer, a protector, a teacher. To see one of our teachers in such distress, hobbled by our carelessness, is a shame that should weigh heavily on us. The saga began in 2023, a quiet tragedy unfolding in the woods, captured only by the unblinking eye of a trail camera. A small cub, curious and driven by the universal need to fill his belly, likely investigated a bait barrel and got his head stuck. As he grew, the plastic prison that was once a nuisance became a life-threatening collar, a constant, choking reminder of a world that too often forgets its connection to the wild.
Michigan Bear Wears Plastic Lid
| Highlight | Details & Data | Professional Insight & Career Info |
|---|---|---|
| The Survivor | A young male black bear, approximately 2 years old and weighing 110 pounds upon rescue. | Wildlife Biologists like those at the DNR study animal behavior, health, and population dynamics. This rescue provided vital data on bear resilience and the long-term effects of foreign object entanglement. |
| The Ordeal | Lived with a 5-inch diameter plastic lid stuck on his neck for an estimated 2 years, causing significant hair loss, scarring, and an abscess. | This case is a stark example of negative human-wildlife interaction. Professionals in conservation and wildlife management work to mitigate these conflicts through public education and regulation. |
| The Rescue | Successfully tranquilized and freed on June 3, 2025, by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) near Hillman, MI, after a landowner provided crucial trail cam footage. | The operation involved a team of specialists (Wildlife Biologists, Technicians) using humane trapping, chemical immobilization, and data collection techniques, showcasing a key aspect of their fieldwork. |
| The Cause | Believed to be from a 55-gallon bait barrel with an illegally sized opening. Michigan law requires bait container openings to be under 1 inch or over 22 inches to prevent such entrapments. | This highlights the importance of regulatory enforcement in hunting and wildlife feeding. Conservation Officers are responsible for enforcing these laws to protect both wildlife and public safety. |
| Bear Population | Michigan is home to an estimated 12,000+ black bears, with the population in the Northern Lower Peninsula increasing by approximately 55% since 2012. | This population growth, studied by state agencies, necessitates increased public awareness and programs like BearWise® to promote coexistence and prevent habituation to human food sources. |
| Official Resource | For more on bear management and safety, visit the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. | Careers with the DNR range from biologists and conservation officers to educators and communication specialists, all working towards preserving natural resources. |
The Long Road to Freedom: A Community’s Watch
For two years, this bear was a ghost. He would appear on a trail camera—a flash of black fur and the unnatural blue of the plastic collar—and then vanish back into the dense northern woods. The good people at the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) were aware of him, but the forest holds its secrets close. Finding one specific bear in the vast expanse of Montmorency County is like finding a single, special leaf in a hurricane of autumn foliage. It takes patience, luck, and a little help from the community.
That help finally came in late May 2025. A landowner near Hillman, a man who clearly keeps a respectful eye on the goings-on in his neck of the woods, checked his trail camera. There was the bear, older now, bigger, but still wearing that terrible necklace. He didn’t just shrug and save the picture; he picked up the phone. He did the right thing. He acted as a true steward of the land.
This single act of responsibility set the wheels of healing in motion. The DNR team, including dedicated folks like wildlife specialist Cody Norton and biologist Angela Kujawa, sprang into action. They didn’t go in with sirens blazing. They moved with respect. With the landowner’s permission, they set a large, humane cylindrical trap, baited with treats a hungry bear couldn’t resist. On June 2nd, their patience paid off. The bear was safely inside.
The next day, the real work began. The team, which also included DNR staffers Sherry Raifsnider and Miranda VanCleave, carefully sedated the bear. Imagine that moment: the powerful animal finally still, the DNR team gathered around not as conquerors, but as healers. They carefully cut away the plastic lid, a symbol of human thoughtlessness, and finally, after two long years, the bear’s neck was free.
A Deeper Look: The Scars We Leave
The team’s examination showed the price this bear had paid. The plastic had worn away his fur, leaving raw, irritated skin. It had cut into his neck, creating deep scars and an abscess. It’s a miracle, and a testament to the incredible toughness of his kind, that he survived at all. Think about it. He endured two harsh Michigan winters. He had to figure out how to eat, drink, and navigate his world with this thing constantly in his way. Cody Norton, the DNR’s bear specialist, said it himself: “It’s pretty incredible that the bear survived and was able to feed itself.”
This bear was lucky. His story has a happy ending. He was tagged for research, examined, and released back into his wild home, a little lighter and a whole lot freer. A DNR drone captured the moment he ambled back into the forest, a living, breathing symbol of a second chance. But his story should leave us with more than just a feeling of relief. It should leave us with a sense of profound responsibility.
A Lesson in a Lid: Preventing the Next Tragedy
So, how does something like this happen? The answer lies in a common practice in our state bear baiting. Now, hunting is a tradition as old as the hills, and for many, it’s a way to connect with the land and provide for their families. In Michigan, hunting over bait is legal on private land. But with that right comes a critical responsibility.
To prevent exactly this kind of tragedy, the law is very clear. The Michigan DNR has specific regulations for bait containers. Any opening must be either very small (one inch or less in diameter) or very large (22 inches or more). Why? A tiny hole prevents an animal from getting its head in. A huge hole allows even the biggest bear to get its head out.
The lid that trapped our bear had an opening of about five inches. It was the perfect size to act as a one-way door: easy for a small, curious cub to push its head through, but impossible to get off as it grew. This wasn’t a freak accident; it was the predictable result of an illegal and improperly used piece of equipment.
This goes beyond just hunters, though. It’s a lesson for all of us who live near or play in wild places. That empty cheeseball container, the plastic drum used for storage, the garbage can without a secure lid—these can all become deadly traps for wildlife.
How We Can Walk a Better Path: Practical Steps for Coexistence
Living with bears and other wildlife is a privilege, not a problem to be solved. They were here first. We are the ones who need to learn to be good neighbors. The folks at BearWise, a national program designed to help people live responsibly with black bears, have some common-sense advice that we should all take to heart.
A Guide to Being “Bear-Wise”
- Secure Your Garbage: This is the number one rule, folks. A bear’s nose is a thousand times more powerful than ours. If it smells food, it will come calling. Use bear-resistant cans if they are available, or store your trash in a sturdy garage or shed until pickup day.
- Rethink Bird Feeders: We all love watching birds, but to a bear, a bird feeder is just a high-calorie snack bar. It’s best to take them down from late spring through fall, when bears are most active.
- Feed Pets Indoors: Don’t leave bowls of pet food sitting outside. It’s an open invitation for a bear to stop by for a meal.
- Keep Your Grill Clean: After you have a barbecue, make sure to clean the grill and burn off any leftover grease. That delicious smell can attract bears from a long way off.
- Be Smart with Compost: Don’t add meat, fish, or other oily foods to your compost pile.
These aren’t difficult things. They are small acts of respect. They are acknowledgments that we share this land, and that our actions, even small ones, have big consequences for the animals who live here alongside us. The growing black bear population in Michigan, especially in the Northern Lower Peninsula, means our paths will cross more often. It is up to us to make sure those encounters are safe and respectful for everyone involved.
The story of the Montmorency County bear is more than just a tale of a rescued animal. It’s a parable for our times. This young makwa, in his two-year journey of silent suffering, held up a mirror to us all. His ordeal reflects our carelessness, our forgetfulness, and the unintended wounds we inflict on the natural world. But his freedom, secured by a community that chose to act, reflects our capacity for compassion, responsibility, and healing. Let his story be a catalyst for change. Let’s be the generation that learns to clean up after itself, to follow the rules designed to protect our wild relatives, and to walk with a lighter, more respectful step upon this sacred Earth.
FAQ on Michigan Bear Wears Plastic Lid
Q1: How is the bear doing now?
A: The bear is doing well. After the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) team removed the plastic lid, they treated a wound on his neck, which included an abscess and significant irritation. Despite the two-year ordeal, the bear was found to be in otherwise good health. He was fitted with an ear tag for identification and released back into the wild in a remote area of Montmorency County on the same day as his rescue.
Q2: How did the plastic lid get stuck on the bear in the first place?
A: It is strongly believed the bear got the lid stuck on its head as a small cub. The object was the rim of a 55-gallon drum, likely from a bear baiting station. Officials suspect the cub pushed its head through the five-inch opening to get food but couldn’t pull it back out. As the bear grew, the lid became a permanent and increasingly tight collar.
Q3: Was the bait barrel that caused this legal?
A: No, the container that trapped the bear was illegal. Michigan law has very specific regulations for bait containers to prevent this exact type of incident. To be legal, an opening in a bait barrel must be either very small (one inch or less) to prevent animals from getting their heads inside, or very large (at least half of the container’s circumference, allowing any bear to free itself). The five-inch hole on this container was in direct violation of these safety regulations.
Q4: How was the bear finally rescued after two years?
A: The rescue was made possible by a crucial tip from a landowner near Hillman, Michigan. After capturing clear images of the bear on his trail camera in late May 2025, he immediately contacted the DNR. This allowed DNR wildlife biologists and technicians to set a specialized, large, cylindrical trap in the area. The bear was safely captured in the trap on June 3, 2025, allowing the team to tranquilize him and remove the lid.
Q5: Who was involved in the rescue?
A: The rescue was a team effort led by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Key personnel included wildlife specialist Cody Norton and wildlife biologist Angela Kujawa, along with other dedicated DNR staff. The vital role of the landowner who reported the sighting was also critical to the success of the mission.
