Neighbors sound alarm to save bear with plastic pet feeder stuck on its head

COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. - A neighborhood in Florida sounded the alarm when they spot something out of the ordinary. A doorbell camera sparked a search for a bear with its head stuck in a plastic jug. 

That grabbed the attention of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). The video shows a 250-pound bear with a plastic pet feeder stuck on its head. 

"Residents were great sending us their ring doorbell cameras and everything else and we actually started doing night patrols just to try to cruise the area, see if we could intercept this bear," said FWC Bear Management Program Coordinator David Telesco.

It was all hands on deck searching for the bear. 

The Collier County Sheriff’s Office even lent FWC its infrared drone. Finally, weeks later, they spotted her. The plastic was still on her head.

"This was a gravity pet feeder which means that there were holes on both sides, so she could still drink and she could sort of eat if she tried really hard," said Telesco.

FWC

FWC

FWC used a dart to catch her and cut the plastic off, then treated some irritation around her neck before setting her free. They assume this happened after the bear got into someone’s garage. 

FWC’s advice? 

"What we suggest is you have your garbage can, you keep it in your garage until the morning of pickup," so no bears get into it and wind up like this poor mama. 

"Yeah, that was scary."

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