The other day, as she cruised along the outskirts of Cross Fork, Pennsylvania, park ranger Sarah Lindgren suddenly slammed on the brakes, catching sight of something remarkable.
There, by the side of the forested road, stood an animal clearly in distress.
Lindgren recounted to The Dodo, “I spotted what appeared to be a bear with something on its head, lying still on the roadside verge.”
Approaching the animal cautiously, Lindgren’s suspicions were confirmed—it was a bear cub with its head firmly ensnared in an empty plastic jar. Then, signs of life began to emerge.
“As I approached the cub, it lifted its head,” Lindgren explained. “So, I switched into stealth mode to get closer.”
Considering the bear’s conspicuous position by the roadside, it almost seemed as though it was seeking assistance from a passing motorist. And indeed, that’s precisely what the bear got.
With a strong pull, Lindgren managed to liberate the cub’s head from the jar.
“Afterwards, he seemed very disoriented and cast me a distrustful glance,” Lindgren remarked. “I began encouraging him to move along so he wouldn’t risk getting hit by a car.”
Once the bear had moved to a safe distance, Lindgren promptly notified the Pennsylvania Game Commission about the incident.
Throughout the ordeal, Lindgren did not encounter the bear’s mother. However, officials estimate that at 8 months of age, the cub is sufficiently mature to survive on its own, as Lindgren noted. In fact, it’s possible that the cub had already been managing independently.
“I think if the mother had been around, she would have been capable of freeing the cub from the container herself,” Lindgren remarked. “It’s likely that he was accustomed to being alone.”
Thankfully, a few days after the rescue, Lindgren spotted the bear once more and observed that he seemed to be recovering his strength.
“I’m optimistic about his chances of survival!” Lindgren exclaimed. “I did what I could within legal bounds, and I’m glad I was there to lend a hand.”
