Overview

• The bear, a two-year-old female, was first reported with a plastic jar on its head in Sawyer County on July 26 and traveled nearly 50 miles across three northern Wisconsin counties before capture.
• Multiple live-trap attempts failed as the bear’s daily movements outpaced efforts, leading USDA Wildlife Services to dart her near Cable on August 3.
• After sedation, officials removed the jar—finding puncture marks likely from the bear’s claws—and recorded her weight at about 70 pounds, below the 100–150-pound norm for her age and sex.
• She received federally mandated ear tags during a health assessment and was released into a wooded, berry-rich area where she was observed feeding immediately.
• Similar cases in other states, including a Michigan bear freed after nearly two years, have spurred programs like BearWise to educate the public on wildlife-safe waste disposal.