State officials came to the aid of a bear with a can stuck on its head along the Alaska Highway.
Tok Area Alaska Department of Fish and Game assistant biologist Jeff Wells said the agency and State Troopers were notified about the bear Monday morning by drivers who spotted in along Alcan about 15 miles outside town.
”We started receiving calls that a black bear had a whole metal coffee can stuck around its head,” Wells said.
Wells said the bear drew the attention of several drivers, in what he describes as a remote spot near the Taylor Highway turn off. He says the bear, a small adult male, had taken refuge under a tractor trailer when Fish and Game arrived on scene.
”It was laying off the side of the road under a semi and we were able to dart it while it was laying under there,” Wells said. “We used some tin snips to open up the opening enough so we could slide it off its head.”
Wells said the bear did not suffer any injuries, woke up and walked away after the can was removed and the tranquilizer had worn off. He describes the incident as very rare, adding it’s unclear where the empty metal coffee can came from, cautioning people not to leave out food containers which can attract bears. He also underscores the importance of leaving wildlife rescues up to professionals, noting that a concerned citizen reportedly tried to remove the can from the bear before fish and Game arrived on scene.
Dan Bross is a reporter at KUAC in Fairbanks.
